View source for Dark & Middle Ages - The Crusades

'''Aim:''' What was the goal of the crusades? Did the Crusaders achieve their goal?

'''Do Now:''' [http://www.classroomexplorations.org/wiki/images/c/cf/Crusadergoals.pdf Crusader Goal Worksheet]

== The Crusades ==

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'''What were the Crusades?'''

The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched by the Christian states of Europe against the Saracens. The term 'Saracen' was the word used to describe a Muslim during the time of the Crusades. The Crusades   started in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First Crusade at the Council of Claremont. The Pope's preaching led to thousands immediately affixing the cross to their garments - the name Crusade given to the Holy Wars came from old French word 'crois' meaning 'cross'. The Crusades were great military expeditions undertaken by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the holy places of Palestine from the hands of the Mohammedans. They were eight in number, the first four being sometimes called the Principal Crusades, and the remaining four the Minor Crusades.

'''What was the Cause for the Crusades?'''

The reason for the crusades was a war between Christians and Muslims which centered around the city of Jerusalem. The City of Jerusalem held a Holy significance to the Christian religion. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem commemorated the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial and was visited by Pilgrims. In 1065 Jerusalem was taken by the Turks and 3000 Christians were massacred starting a chain of events which contributed to the cause of the crusades.

'''What were the Objectives of the Crusades?'''

The Objectives of  the crusades was at first to release the Holy Land, in particular Jerusalem, from the Saracens, but in time was extended to seizing Spain from the Moors, the Slavs and Pagans from eastern Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean.

'''The Fall of Jerusalem and Acre - the Last Crusades'''

The kingdom of Jerusalem was gradually lost until the last Christian city, Acre, fell in 1291. The dream of returning to the Holy Land nonetheless proved popular; the Kings of France and England frequently made such plans, though in nearly every case the crusades were redirected or derailed by regional tensions.

== Results of the Crusades ==

* '''Revival of European Trade''' - European interest in goods from the east was stimulated by returning Crusaders who brought back many things. As the Crusades ended, ships that were once used to carry soldiers to the Middle East, now carried trade goods.  Merchants from rich Italian city states, such as Venice and Florence, dominated this trade.  Goods from the Middle East would arrive in Venice, before following newly established trade routes to the rest of Europe.  Along these new trade routes, trade fairs were established in towns with larger populations, or at major crossroads.  Over time, merchants and craftsman settled in these towns, and some grew to be cities of several thousand people.  This fundamentally altered the way people lived in Europe, and marked the beginning of the end of feudalism and the Middle Ages.

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== Classwork & Homework == 

'''Lesson PowerPoint:''' [http://www.classroomexplorations.org/wiki/images/a/a4/Crusades.pptx The Crusades]

'''Lesson Video:''' [http://www.classroomexplorations.org/wiki/classroom/crescentcross.wmv Crescent & the Cross]

'''Lesson Activity:''' [http://www.classroomexplorations.org/wiki/images/0/08/Crusadeactivity.pdf The Crusades]

'''Homework:''' [[Assignments]]