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The Middle Ages: wars and the Black Death

Study note

The Middle Ages, roughly from 1066 to about 1485, were a time of almost constant warfare. The English kings fought wars in many places, including the Crusades in the Holy Land and the long Hundred Years War against France. In Scotland, Robert the Bruce defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, which kept Scotland independent of England. This was a Scottish victory led by Robert the Bruce, not by Henry VII or later figures.

The Middle Ages also saw a terrible disease, the Black Death, which reached Britain in 1348. This plague killed about one third of the population, an enormous loss of life. The shortage of workers afterwards changed society and helped ordinary people demand better wages. Remember two dates in particular: Bannockburn in 1314, when Scotland stayed free, and the Black Death of 1348, which killed about a third of the people.

Memory tip: Bannockburn 1314 (Scotland free); Black Death 1348 kills a third of the people.

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Question 1 of 3

Who defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314?

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Show all questions and answers for The Middle Ages: wars and the Black Death(3 questions with explanations)

The Middle Ages: wars and the Black Death: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. Who defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314?

    • Robert the Bruce
    • William Wallace alone
    • Henry VII
    • Oliver Cromwell

    Correct answer: Robert the Bruce

    Robert the Bruce defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314, keeping Scotland independent.

  2. 2. Roughly what proportion of Britain's population died in the Black Death of 1348?

    • About one in a hundred
    • Almost everyone
    • About one third
    • About one in twenty

    Correct answer: About one third

    The Black Death of 1348 killed about a third of the population.

  3. 3. The long medieval war fought between England and France was known as what?

    • The Hundred Years War
    • The Civil War
    • The Crusades
    • The Wars of the Roses

    Correct answer: The Hundred Years War

    The Hundred Years War was fought between England and France during the Middle Ages.

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