1. What major change in farming helped medieval towns begin to grow?
- A. Feudal lords began to work on the farms themselves.
- B. Farmers started growing a surplus of food.
- C. A long period of drought forced people to move to cities.
- D. People stopped using farm animals for labor.
2. What was the most common peaceful method for a wealthy medieval town to gain its independence from a feudal lord?
- A. Appealing to the Church.
- B. Holding a popular vote.
- C. Purchasing a charter.
- D. Refusing to sell goods.
3. Which of the following rights was typically granted to a town by a charter?
- A. The power to declare war on other kingdoms.
- B. The authority to create local laws and collect taxes.
- C. The control over all farmland within a 100-mile radius.
- D. The right to appoint the next king or queen.
4. How did a surplus of food affect the population in the High Middle Ages?
- A. It led to most people moving away from towns and back to the countryside.
- B. It meant that some people could pursue jobs other than farming, like becoming merchants.
- C. It caused the price of all goods to increase dramatically across Europe.
- D. It forced feudal lords to lower taxes on all farmers.
5. As medieval towns became wealthier through trade, why did they often seek independence from feudal lords?
- A. They wanted to form their own armies to conquer other lands.
- B. The lords were forcing all townspeople to become farmers again.
- C. They no longer wanted to follow the lord's rules, pay his taxes, and felt they didn't need his protection.
- D. They believed the lords were not providing adequate religious guidance for the community.
6. What was the main reason peasants were drawn to growing towns during the later Middle Ages?
- A. To receive better protection from a powerful king.
- B. To find new opportunities for work and personal freedom.
- C. To join religious communities established in monasteries.
- D. To become soldiers and fight in their lord's army.
7. A peasant tied to a manor would have viewed a growing town primarily as a place to gain...
- A. a title of nobility from the local king.
- B. personal freedom and economic independence.
- C. a high-ranking position within the Church.
- D. responsibility for managing the lord's estate.
8. The medieval saying "town air makes you free" referred to the idea that towns often were...
- A. cleaner and healthier than the countryside.
- B. located in areas with more pleasant weather.
- C. independent from the direct control of a feudal lord.
- D. protected by stronger walls than most castles.
9. Unlike life on a feudal manor, what economic advantage did living in a town offer a common person?
- A. The chance to own a large area of farmland.
- B. Guaranteed housing provided by the government.
- C. The ability to learn a skilled trade and earn money.
- D. Free food and supplies from the town council.
10. How did the growth of towns contribute to the weakening of the feudal system?
- A. It caused the system to weaken as lords lost their peasant workforce.
- B. It strengthened the power of feudal lords over their lands.
- C. It led to an increase in farming output on feudal manors.
- D. It had no significant impact on the feudal social structure.