Crusades

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/crusades

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary theocratic goal?To secure Christian control over the Holy Land, particularly Jerusalem
2. What is the key european powers involved?France, Holy Roman Empire, England, and Italian city-states
3. Why did Pope Urban II call for the Crusades?Pope Urban II gave a speech in 1095 that told people they could fight for a holy war and get forgiveness for their sins. He asked for help to stop the Seljuk Turks from taking land from the Byzantine Empire. The promise of spiritual rewards made many people want to join.
4. Who joined the Crusades and why?Knights, lords, merchants, and even common people joined. Knights wanted land and glory, merchants wanted new trade routes, and many people wanted to help God and maybe have adventure. Some joined to escape hard life at home.

Plenary Indulgence: A remission of all temporal punishment for sins, promised by the Pope to Crusaders.
Crusader States: Feudal principalities and kingdoms established by Western Europeans in the Eastern Mediterranean after the First Crusade.
Saladin: The first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187.
Byzantine Empire: The Eastern Roman Empire, which sought military aid from Western Europe against Seljuk Turks.