1. Age of Discovery
   The Roman Empire
2. Colonization
   Renaissance​

Rome fell to Germanic Tribes under the leadership of Odoacer in 476 C.E. This is widely regarded as the start of the Middle Ages.

1. King Arthur
   Charlemagne​
2. Leif Erikson
   William the Conqueror

The earliest tales of King Arthur can be traced to Geoffrey of Monmouth, a British cleric. He is known for writing one of the first historiographies of Britain in the 12th century.

1. Buddhism
   Hinduism
2. Christianity
   Judaism

The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church dominated Christianity for most of the Middle Ages. However, with the Protestant Reformation, a new denomination emerged in Europe during the 16th century.

1. Urban II
   Gregory I
2. Leo I
   Innocent I

Conversion to Christianity in Northern European countries was complicated. Christian missionaries allowed and often encouraged pagan followers to incorporate their own customs and culture into the Christian belief system. This created a unique mixture of Christian and Pagan culture across the region.

1. Buddhism​
   Hinduism
2. Judaism
   Islam

Islam was a religion founded in the 7th century that spread rapidly across the Middle East into Africa and Europe. These Muslims gave Christian Europe as much if not more trouble than the Pagans.

1. Anglo-Saxons
   Vikings
2. Britons
   Irish

The Vikings were excellent seafarers. They were known throughout Europe, traveling​ as far as the Mediterranean Sea and North America.

1. Alfred the Great
   Henry V
2. Charlemagne​
   Louis XIV

Charlemagne was the first ruler to unite much of Europe after the continent fell apart with the Roman Empire. However, this new empire began to fall apart not long after his death.

1. Capitalism
   Socialism
2. Colonialism
   Feudalism

Kings and queens sat at the top of the Feudalist system. Underneath them were barons, dukes and earls.

1. Serfs
   Knights
2. Lords
   Monks

Serfs were supposed to work the land to provide food to their lord and his vassals. In return, serfs were provided with protection and some basic rights that slaves would not have received.

1. Lordship
   Purple Heart
2. Knighthood
   Marriage

Knights followed a code of conduct known as chivalry. This code guided a knight's interaction with other classes in European society.

1. William the Conqueror
   Cnut the Great
2. Charles the Bald
   Alfred the Great

According to legend, the Great Heathen Army was led by the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. They were avenging their father's death at the hands of a British king.

1. William Wallace
   Rollo
2. Geoffrey Chaucer
   Vlad the Impaler

Rollo was a Scandinavian warrior who raided during the 9th and 10th centuries. While in France, Charles III gave Rollo land in Normandy to defend France against other Viking invaders.

1. Leif Erikson
   Joan of Arc
2. William the Conqueror
   Cnut the Great

Leif Erikson was a well-known Icelandic explorer. It is widely believed that he established a settlement in Canada known as Vinland.

1. The Serfs
   God
2. Lords
   Knights

Christianity shaped every aspect of life in the Middles Ages, which included deciding who would rule. However, this often led to conflict between the church and the state.

1. Richard II
   Harold Godwinson
2. William the Conqueror
   Henry I

When William launched his invasion of England, King Harold Godwinson was the greatest threat to his mission. However, William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings just one month after landing in England.

1. Execution
   Battle wounds
2. Illness
   Assassination

William Wallace supported Robert the Bruce against England in the First War for Scottish Independence. After the war ended, Robert became the King of the Scots, a position he held until his death.

1. Beowulf
   Book of the Civilized Man
2. The Song of Rolland
   Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales followed pilgrims as they traveled from London to Canterbury. Each pilgrim had an opportunity to win a free meal if they told the best story.

1. Rome
   Constantinople
2. Paris
   Siena

Serving as a cultural center for Christians for centuries, Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453. Many scholars consider this to be the end of the Middle Ages.

1. Spain
   France
2. Norway
   Ireland

Modern Spain was shaped by the Middle Ages, as Muslims, Christians and Jews struggled to live beside one another. This period of Convivencia influenced Spanish political decisions as the modern world took shape.

1. Mass executions
   Sold as slaves
2. Fear of being expelled
   High taxes

Muslims were surprisingly tolerant of Christians during their occupation of Spain. Christians were provided with many of the same rights that Muslims received. However, the high taxes caused many Christians to abandon their faith for economic gain.

1. Imperialism​
   Holocaust
2. Crusades
   War of Roses

The Crusades did little to solve the conflict between Christians and Muslims. However, it did unite much of Europe under the name of Christianity, as loyal followers sought eternal life through participation.

1. Urban II
   Gregory I
2. Leo I
   Innocent I

Pope Urban II received a call to action from Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. The Byzantine Emperor needed help with the Turks who were taking control of Byzantine land.

1. Cairo
   Baghdad
2. Damascus
   London

Many of the famous works by ancient Greek philosophers disappeared from European society during the Middle Ages. However, they did survive in the Middle East as Muslims adopted ideas from these great thinkers, incorporating these works into their own beliefs.

1. Victorian
   Gothic
2. Queen Anne
   Modern

Gothic architecture had a towering presence characterized by high vaults held up by flying buttresses. This style of architecture originated in France around the 12th century.

1. Norway
   Italy
2. Spain
   France

After helping the French achieve victory at Orléans, Joan was captured by England. She was tried for heresy and burned at the stake.

1. Greek gods
   Roman gods
2. Christianity
   Historic heroes

In Ireland and Britain, Insular art was the most common art produced. This style combined Celtic and Germanic art with Christianity as it swept across the region.

1. Indulgence
   Sacrifice
2. Offering
   Sacrament​

Indulgences would be cited as a sign of corruption in the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation. However, during the Middle Ages, this practice helped spread the power of the Catholic Church.

1. AIDS
   The Plague
2. Tuberculosis
   Syphilis

The Plague killed roughly 60% of the European population. The disease was spread by infected fleas.

1. John
   Henry III
2. Richard I
   William II

King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta by powerful barons in England. The charter was critical in the development of Western democracy.

1. Warfare
   Crusaders
2. Wealth
   Nearby Farms

Castles were extremely expensive to build, which was why extravagant castles were constructed by the wealthy nobility. The Tower of London is one of the most famous surviving examples of castles during this time.

1. Ottoman Empire
   Carolingian​ Empire
2. Saxon Empire
   Mongol Empire

The Mongol Empire initiated a period known as Pax Mongolica. During this period, communication and trade between Europe and Asia became much simpler.

1. Vlad the Impaler
   Genghis Khan
2. Robert the Bruce
   Edward II

After Genghis Khan died, the Mongol Empire began to fall apart. This was mainly because of internal conflict.

1. Venice
   Paris
2. London
   Constantinople

Venice was founded in the 5th century by authorities in Northern Italy. Because of its location, the city became a wealthy trading center by the High Middle Ages.

1. Lord
   Vassal
2. Guild
   Apostate

Guilds were basically early examples of worker unions. They controlled hours of work and provided for poor or sick members.

1. Age of Reason
   Enlightenment
2. Bronze Age
   Renaissance​

The Renaissance was seen as a return to a period of high culture or a rebirth. European art, literature and ideas expanded during this time.