Download The Church and The Crusades - Spectrum Loves Social Studies

The Church and The Crusades
Bellwork
• Review:
• In your own words, explain how the Catholic church
came to have so much power over the people in the
Middle Ages:
• In your own words, explain how the Catholic church
came to be so rich in the Middle Ages:
Cathedrals
• Some of the money that the church brought in
was invested in grand buildings for worship
• For most towns, this was the main gathering spot
for all of life’s occasions– baptisms, marriages,
and burials– as well as for the sacred objects of a
town, such as the possessions or remains of
saints
• The architectural style known as Gothic included
buttresses as support the tall structures
The World in 1050
(from Prentiss Hall World History)
• In 1050, as Western Europe was just emerging from a
period of isolation, many other civilizations were
thriving elsewhere. The religion of Islam had given rise
to a brilliant civilization that stretched from presentday Spain to India, and Muslim traders and scholars
spread goods and ideas even further.
• India was a land of thriving cities where Hindu and
Buddhist traditions flourished and wealthy princes
built stunning temples and palaces. In East Asia, under
the Tang and Song dynasties, China’s culture
flourished and influenced neighboring peoples.
Meanwhile, the Soninke people of West Africa were
building the great trading empire of Ghana.
• Across the Atlantic, in Central America, the Maya had
cleared rain forests and built cities with towering
temples. In the Andes of South America, Native
Americans were building a great empire. The
civilizations of the Americas, however, remained apart
from the contacts that were taking place among
Africans, Europeans, and Asians.
• Closer to Western Europe, the Byzantine empire- the
former eastern Roman Empire- was generally
prosperous and united. In the 1050s, the Seljuk Turks
invaded. . . [and] extended their power over the Holy
Land, that is, Jerusalem and other places in Palestine
where Christians believe Jesus lived and preached. . .
The conflict prevented Christian pilgrims from
traveling to the Holy Land.
The Call to Crusade
• The Pope called on Christian knights to help
recapture the Holy Land (and make it safe for
pilgrimages)
• Thousands responded by heading off to fight in
1096, but few returned
• Reasons for crusading:
– True religious motivations
– Hoping to win wealth, land, or adventure
– Hoping to escape troubles at home
The Crusades
• There were many “waves” of actual crusades of a period of about
200 years
• The first crusade succeeded in its goal of recapturing Jerusalem
– Crusaders massacred Muslim and Jewish residents of the city when they
arrived (this pattern repeated as they took other cities)
– There were more Muslim land holdings, though, so the work was not
done
• Later crusades occurred throughout the Middle East and North
Africa
– At times, Christians fought non-Muslims
• Looted and massacred Christians in the Christian capital of Constantinople
• 20,000 Cathars in France were mutilated and massacred
• Frequent attacks and massacres in Jewish towns
– Both Muslims and Christians committed atrocities during the Crusades
• By the end, the Holy Land was recaptured by the Muslim leader
Saladin.
The Reconquista/The Inquisition
• Spain (which had been conquered by Muslim invaders
in the 700s) was also a focus of crusaders
• Eventually, Christian forces had re-conquered Spain
(reconquista) and were in control but Muslim
influences remained strong
• In the late 1400s, the King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella of Spain, along with the Church, began the
Inquisition: a court set up to try people accused of not
being Christian
– Tried Muslims and Jews, mostly
– If found guilty, they often were burned at the stake
– Was used against people for not being the RIGHT kind of
Christian, too…anyone could accuse you
– 150,000 people fled Spain to escape the Inquisition
The Effects of the Crusades
• Europe expanded its trade with the rest of the
world, which helped its economy
• Europe expanded its worldview; for the first time
since the Roman Empire fell, it had contact with
new cultures and ideas!
• New taxes were put into place to help pay for the
crusades
• Various popes and kings throughout this period
gained greater power and prestige
• Left a legacy of hatred, distrust, and resentment
between Christians, Muslims, and Jews
Your Job:
• You have gone on crusade!
• Write a letter home telling your family about
what you have seen, what you have done, and
how you feel
• You get to decide your age, location,
motivations, and current feelings