Answer ONE question from Part I and ONE question from Part II (50 pts. each).

Each essay should be approximately 2 – 4 pages (600 – 1200 words).

Part I.  (answer ONE question).

1. Discuss feudalism as a system of government and a means to promote social order in Europe during the Middle Ages.

2. What were the reasons for the Crusades? What did they achieve?

3.  Discuss the conditions of life and work for common people during the middle ages. What was a manor?  Why did serfdom decline in the late-middle-ages (1300s – 1500s)?  

Part II.  (Answer ONE question).

1.  What factors inspired the Renaissance in Europe? What new perceptions about humanism and its role in the world emerged from this movement? Can the Renaissance be seen as a  break from the culture of the Middle Ages? Why or why not?

2.  What was the “Columbian Exchange” and how did it affect both the “old” and the “new” worlds?  Discuss both positive and negative consequences of the interchanges between Europe and the Americas.

3.  What were the main reasons why Luther broke with the Roman Catholic Church?  How did later reformers such as Zwingli and Calvin differ from Luther? How did the Catholic Church respond to the religious and political challenges to its authority? 

This is the tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, Iran, the site of the great capital of Cyrus the Great.

Read the Cyrus cylinder (along with the notes on Cyrus the Great and the study questions) and answer the following question in a paragraph:Citing specific evidence from the Cyrus Cylinder (not the textbook), what were the main features of ideal kingship according to Cyrus?

Your paragraph should be about one-half page in length, double-spaced with one-inch margins, font size 10 or 12; it should contain a concise topic sentence (sentence 1) that directly responds to the assigned question (no need to define terms or cite a dictionary), and you should use direct, quoted material to support your points.  Your last sentence should be a conclusion. You may consider sending a draft of your assignment to your instructor for feedback before submitting the assignment for a grade.

Please take a moment to review all of my support materials in Charlie’s History Writing Center for additional information on the writing requirements for the assignments in the course.

Your assignment should be submitted on Blackboard.