PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

History 211 - The Emergence of Europe, 400-1700

Fall 1991 Professor M.S. Mahoney

MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Part I (15 mins.)

Below are three sets of people or events from the period we have been studying. In each case, put the members in chronological order (or supply the pertinent dates) and state briefly what historical theme links them to one another.

(A) Boniface VIII, Gregory VII, Innocent IV, Urban II, Leo III

(B) Henry II, Edward I, Magna carta, William I, Philip II

(C) Golden Horde, Sack of Rome, Black Death, Northmen, Crusades

Part II (30 mins.)

Answer ONE of the following questions. Your essay should have a clear argument supported by specific examples drawn from the readings, lectures, or precept discussions. Keep your answer focused. We're not trying to find out all you know but rather how you can apply what you know to a particular problem.

1. How did the Church fit into the feudal system as it evolved in the Middle Ages? What advantages did it derive from the system, what difficulties did it face, and what problems did it pose for the system? To what extent can the medieval Church be called a feudal institution?

2. Given the importance of feudalism in the formation of European society, one is tempted to think of it as the only form of social organization at the time. But there were other social groups, which were not feudal in structure and in some cases were incompatible with feudalism. What were these other social structures, how did they evolve, and what were the points of contact and tension between them and feudal society?

3. Beginning in the mid-fourteenth century, Europe experienced over a century of political and social upheaval. To what extent can this be attributed to external or accidental forces, and to what extent did it result from internal stresses and strains reflecting the limitations of medieval institutions?

 

I pledge my honor that I have not violated the Honor Code on this examination.