| Term | Definition |
| Feudalism | A social system in medieval Europe in which land/crops were offered in exchange for military protection. System originated from lawlessness during Dark Ages after the Fall of Rome and bc of weak central. |
| "Caste" System | Middle Ages had a rigid class structure with the king on top, nobility, knight, peasants, and finally serfs. |
| Nobels | Landed gentry such as Dukes and Barons that were given manors in exchange for providing protection in the form of castles and knights back to the king. |
| Knights | Part of the warrior class that exchanged protection services for payment, shelter, and food. |
| Peasants | The lower class that worked the land for the Nobles and a give portion of their crops to the Noble in exchange for protection. |
| Serfs | The lowest labor class that works on the manor in exchange for protection. This group actually conveys with the manor which severely restricted their freedoms. |
| Manor | The castle and the surrounding lands. |
| Magna Carta | Document signed in 1215 that limits the right of the English monarch. |
| Black Death/ Black Plague | The bubonic plague that originated in China and was carried by fleas on rats to Europe where it killed 1/4-1/2 of the population. |
| Medieval | Describes the period of the Middle Ages from 500-1200 AD in Europe. |
| Charlemagne | The best known Frankish king over the Holy Roman Empire. Known for his stance on Education. |
| Vikings | Germanic people from Scandinavia who often raided western Europe on longships during the AD 800s and 900s due to a growing population and poor farmland. |
| Monastery | A building where religious Monks lived and worked. Convent is the female version for Nuns. |
| Crusades | A series of Christian military expeditions from 11th-13th centuries to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. |
| Sacred | religious |
| Secular | not religious |
| Page | The first step of knighthood, about age 7. |
| Squire | The second stage of knighthood about age 14. |
| Chivalry | A code of behavior for a knight including fairness and respect for women. |
