Starter quiz
- Which of the following were NOT reasons for tensions reducing in the civil war in the 1140s?
- Matilda was now out of the country.
- Matilda and Stephen asked the public to stop fighting. ✓
- Many of the barons had grown tired of the constant fighting.
- The pope called for a Second Crusade.
- Stephen died so his supporters did not want to continue fighting. ✓
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- Complete the sentence: Stephen agreed Matilda's ______ Henry would inherit the throne after his death, which led to a peaceful succession.
- 'son' ✓
- Why did the death of Stephen's son, Eustace, remove an obstacle to the end of the civil war?
- Eustace was angry with Matilda who had agreed to make Henry her heir instead
- Eustace was angry with Stephen who had agreed to make Henry his heir instead ✓
- Eustace was angry with Stephen who had agreed to make Matilda his heir instead
- Eustace was angry with Matilda who had agreed to make Stephen her heir instead
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- Complete the sentence: a ______ is a formal agreement between two countries.
- 'Treaty' ✓
- Where did Matilda spend the rest of her life following the end of the civil war?
- the Holy Roman Empire
- England
- Normandy ✓
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- Which of the following examples show how much Henry II valued his mother's advice?
- he had her crowned joint ruler at his coronation
- any decisions that he made were signed in both his name and Stephen's
- he only did exactly what she advised him to do
- any decisions that he made were signed in both his name and Matilda’s ✓
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Exit quiz
- Match the keyword to the correct definition.
- baron⇔a great lord or landholder in the kingdom ✓
- Anarchy⇔an absence of government in society; political or social disorder ✓
- civil war⇔a war between citizens of the same country ✓
- empire⇔a group of countries or provinces ruled by one person or a group ✓
- Put the following events in Matilda's early life in chronological order.
- 1⇔Matilda married Emperor Henry V
- 2⇔She ruled the Empire's lands in Italy on behalf of the Emperor
- 3⇔Henry V died and Matilda became a widow
- 4⇔Matilda was named heir to the throne by her father
- 5⇔Matilda married Count Geoffrey Plantagenet of Anjou
- 6⇔Matilda's son - the future Henry II - was born
- Put the following events in Matilda's later life in chronological order.
- 1⇔Matilda and Geoffrey joined a rebellion against her father
- 2⇔Matilda's father, Henry I, died
- 3⇔Stephen of Blois took the throne from Matilda - the Anarchy began
- 4⇔Stephen was captured and Matilda almost won the civil war
- 5⇔Matilda was thrown out of London before she could be crowned
- 6⇔Matilda's son, Henry II, continued the civil war for his mother
- 7⇔Henry II was crowned king - the Anarchy ended
- Which of the following women played an important role in Matilda's story?
- Queen Elizabeth I
- Dowager Queen Adeliza ✓
- Queen Matilda of Boulogne ✓
- Queen Victoria
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- What was one of the reasons that England did not have another female ruler for the next 400 years after the Anarchy?
- influential men blamed Matilda's gender for the problems caused by the Anarchy ✓
- Matilda wrote into law that no other woman could become queen
- influential women blamed Matilda's gender for the problems caused by the Anarchy
- Henry II wrote into law that no other woman could become queen
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- What can Matilda's life teach historians about medieval women?
- women could be trusted to rule and did so successfully ✓
- women were only allowed to marry once in their lifetime
- women were able to wield power in their husband’s name ✓
- women were capable of directing armies ✓
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Historians can learn about medieval women by studying Matilda's early life.
- Historians can learn about medieval women by studying Matilda's role in the Anarchy.
- Historians can learn about medieval women by studying Matilda's court.
- Historians can learn about medieval women by studying Matilda's later life.
- Matilda's life is one particularly well documented way in which historians can learn about medieval women.
Common misconception
Surnames have always been used and they generally aren't changed from one generation to the next.
During the medieval period, people went by their first name and one or more given names. These given names could be nicknames based on their place of origin or occupation or a distinguishing feature. Some people chose their own given names.
Keywords
Baron - a baron is a great lord or landholder in the kingdom
Anarchy - the Anarchy was an absence of government in society; political or social disorder
Civil war - a civil war is a war between citizens of the same country
Empire - an empire is a group of countries or provinces ruled from the centre by one person or a group of people
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