SAT II World History : Historic Figures of the Middle Ages

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Historic Figures Of The Middle Ages

William the Conqueror is famous for his conquest of __________.

Possible Answers:

Rome

France

England

Scandinavia

The Iberian Penninsula

Correct answer:

England

Explanation:

William the Conqueror, also called William Duke of Normandy, is famous for his conquest of England in 1066. He established feudalism in England and is the last invader to successfully conquer the British Isles. 

Example Question #2 : Historic Figures Of The Middle Ages

Joan of Arc is famous for her role in __________

Possible Answers:

the War of Spanish Succession 

the French Wars of Religion 

the Seven Years' War 

the Thirty Years' War 

the Hundred Years' War

Correct answer:

the Hundred Years' War

Explanation:

Joan of Arc is often credited with helping turn the tide of the Hundred Years' War between the English and the French. At the time of Joan's arrival on the scene, the English had seemed poised to overwhelm the French monarchy and conquer much of France, but the piety and belief of Joan is said to have inspired the French troops to victory after victory. She was captured by the English and tried for witchcraft, for which she was condemned to death by being burnt at the stake.

Example Question #3 : Historic Figures Of The Middle Ages

Rurik of Scandinavia is most famous for __________.

Possible Answers:

converting the Scandinavian people to Christianity 

conquering the British isles 

founding the Russian state 

abolishing feudalism in Denmark 

establishing feudalism in Denmark 

Correct answer:

founding the Russian state 

Explanation:

Prince Rurik of Scandinavia is a possible mythical figure who is credited with founding the Russian State in the ninth century C.E. and a ruling dynasty that lasted for several hundred years. The Kingdom he founded, Kievan Rus, eventually evolved into the Duchy of Moscow and later into the Russian state and the empire of the Soviet Union. 

Example Question #4 : Historic Figures Of The Middle Ages

All of the following are true about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine except _____________.

Possible Answers:

like many noblewomen, she could inherit property as a widow

she helped govern England with her husband, Henry II

she refused to take on political responsibilities

her sons, Richard and John, both became kings of England

her presence as a public figure helped cause the rise of romantic love and chivalry

Correct answer:

she refused to take on political responsibilities

Explanation:

Eleanor helped govern England and she took on an active role as queen. Although her contemporaries believed that women were delicate (this was part of what fueled chivalry), Eleanor did not shy away from her state responsibilities. 

Example Question #5 : Historic Figures Of The Middle Ages

The Venerable Bede is remembered for __________.

Possible Answers:

his heretical writings against church teachings 

his collection of relics from around the world 

his deathbed confession to Catholicism 

bringing Christianity to Ireland 

writing an early history of English civilization 

Correct answer:

writing an early history of English civilization 

Explanation:

The Venerable Bede was a monk and historian in England in the seventh and eighth centuries. He is most commonly remembered as the author of The Ecclesiastical History of English People (completed circa 730 C.E.), one of the earliest recorded histories of the English civilization. 

Example Question #6 : Historic Figures Of The Middle Ages

The Doge of Venice, Enrico Dandolo, is most commonly remembered for ___________________.

Possible Answers:

the Edict of Milan

the Sack of Constantinople

his role in Italian unification

the Edict of Paris

the First Crusade

Correct answer:

the Sack of Constantinople

Explanation:

Enrico Dandolo was the ruler of Venice, a wealthy Italian city-state, from 1192-1205. He is most commonly remembered for the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople in 1204. The Sack of Constantinople was instrumental in the decline of the Byzantine Empire and eventually precipitated the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the rise of the Ottoman Empire in Europe.

Example Question #7 : Historic Figures Of The Middle Ages

Which of these statements about John Wycliffe is true?

Possible Answers:

He was declared a heretic by the Papacy

His followers were called Lollards

He is considered to be a progenitor of the English Reformation

He translated the bible into English for the first time

All of these statements are true

Correct answer:

All of these statements are true

Explanation:

John Wycliffe was a notable theologian and dissident within the Catholic Church in the fourteenth century. He is most famous for translating the bible into English for the first time. He is also considered to be a progenitor of the English Reformation for his rejection of church authority and his attacks on clerical indulgences.

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