The Crusades Dbq Essay

The Crusades

We have all heard about the Crusades whether you are Christian or not. But why? Maybe it was because of the estimated 1.7 million people that died between 1096 and 1348 CE. Maybe it was the fact that the war started over a small “promised land” called Jerusalem, that the Christians though was rightfully theirs. Maybe it was because you are Muslim or Christian and were taught about it from a young age, because this affected your ancestors a lot. Maybe it was none of these reasons, but you have probably still heard about it. The Crusades or “Holy Wars” was a conflict that lasted over 250 years. They took place in the Middle East, around a city named Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not a normal city though, it was the “Holy land”

This was important because at that time there were not many trade routes between those areas, and if there were they would tax people not of their religion or culture. Document 5 gives a synopsis of different reasons Europeans may have wanted to participate in the Crusades, including opening new trade routes. These trade routes would allow the Christians to get more resources from the Middle East at a much cheaper and faster rate. A new trade route seemed to be crucial for the Christians. India and the Middle East had many resources to offer. They traded many animals, dyes, and many crops such as corn, wheat, and

Younger sons of Nobles could not inherit any land of the father’s and slaves and the poor could not own land under any circumstance. That was until the opportunity to fight in the Crusades happened. The pope promised free land to any man who was willing to fight in the Crusades. Document 6, Giles Constable, a historian, states that, “Each Participant made his own crusade.”. He then goes on to state that a big draw was to get the land overseas, especially for the younger