What were the crusades and how did they effect European culture society and trade?
The Crusades were a series of wars between Christians and
Muslims during the Middle Ages ; medieval times. Western European
Christians sought to gain control of Palestine, the land where
Jesus lived, died, and according to Christians, was resurrected,
from the Muslims. While Christian Crusaders never achieved more
than temporary control of Jerusalem, the Crusades had many lasting
effects on Western European societies. These effects profoundly
changed the lives of Western Europeans.
One of the many effects of the Crusades was that the pope and
the kings of Western Europe became more powerful. In addition,
Europeans began to trade with the Middle East. Trade increased as
Western Europeans began to buy products like sugar, lemons, and
spices. Naturally, increased trade led to increased cultural
diffusion. Crusaders and traders learned about Arab art,
architecture, medicine, and mathematics. Since the Arabs were very
advanced in science and mathematics, Western European knowledge
increased. Finally, after traveling to the Middle East, may Western
Europeans began to see their small villages as uninteresting and
even boring. Many Western Europeans began to seek adventure. They
became explorers like Colombus, Magellan, Vasco DeGama, and Irene
Barry