The Crusades & the Medieval Church
Aligned to C3.D2.His.7 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
In medieval Europe the Catholic Church held enormous religious, political, and economic power. Beginning in 1095, popes called the Crusades, a series of military campaigns to take the Holy Land from Muslim control; though most failed militarily, they increased trade and contact between Europe and the wider world.
Worked example
Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade in 1095, urging European knights to march to Jerusalem, which crusaders captured in 1099.
Practice questions
- Who called the Crusades and what was their main religious goal?
- Explain two ways the medieval Church influenced people's lives beyond religion.
- Analyze how the Crusades affected trade and the exchange of ideas between Europe and the Middle East.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Las Cruzadas y la Iglesia medieval
En la Europa medieval, la Iglesia católica tenía un enorme poder religioso, político y económico. A partir de 1095, los papas convocaron las Cruzadas, una serie de campañas militares para arrebatar Tierra Santa al control musulmán; aunque en su mayoría fracasaron militarmente, aumentaron el comercio y el contacto entre Europa y el resto del mundo.
Ejemplo: El papa Urbano II lanzó la Primera Cruzada en 1095, instando a los caballeros europeos a marchar sobre Jerusalén, que los cruzados capturaron en 1099.
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