Crusades, Trade, and the Plague

1
Crusades, Trade, and the Plague

• Chapter 14, Lesson 2

2
The Crusades

• Religions spread
• Islam spreads to North Africa and Asia Minor
• Christianity is in the lands north and west of
  the Mediterranean Sea
• Muslim Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army
• The Turks take over Palestine.

3
Islam takes over

• Islam replaces Christianity has the dominant
  religion in the area.
• Turkish language replaces Greek.

4
Crusades

• Alexius Comnenus asked Pope Urban II for help in
  the form of Christina Knights to fight the Turks.
• Pope Urban issues a plea for all Christians to
  come help free the Holy Lands from the Muslims
• There were eight total crusades.
• Kings, nobles, knights, peasants, and townspeople
  set out to win back control of Palestine.

5
East and West

• Reasons for marching to the Holy Lands
• Win control of the Holy Lands
• Some crusaders fought for themselves.
• Some crusaders wanted to increase their power,
  territory, and riches.

6
Effects of the Crusades

• Economy was expanding
• Europes military forces were increasing.
• Crusaders won some battles
• Contacts between east and west led to increased
  trade, and commerce.

7
Trade Grows

• Goods needed that couldnt be found on the manor.
• Serfs needed iron for farming tools.
• Lords wanted ways to show off their wealth.
• Fine wools and fur.
• People could get these goods at a fair.

8
Fairs

• Local guilds set up tents or stalls to display
  and sell their goods.
• Fairs took place on holidays, or holy days, or
  during celebrations.

9
Trade routes

• Trade routes developed to serve the fairs.
• Traders exchanged local goods for foreign goods.
• Goods from Asia were circulated on the trade
  routes by middlemen, like a relay race.
• European trade routes were linked with Muslim
  trade routes.
• Goods came from Africa, Asia Minor, China, the
  Far East, and other Muslim Lands.
• The Silk Road was one of the oldest and most
  important land routes.

10
The Silk Road

• Marco Polo
• We know of the Silk Road because of Marco Polos
  travels
• His stories of Chinas riches fascinated
  Europeans.

11
Description of the Silk Road

• 4,000 miles in length
• It was several different routes and branches.
• Starting point was the Chinese capital of
  Changan
• Items traded along the road
• Caravans to China carried gold, ivory, and
  precious stones.
• Caravans from China brought silk, furs, ceramics,
  jade, bronze objects, lacquer, and iron.

12
A tough journey

• Physically difficult for travel.
• Bandits made travel dangerous.
• Caravans needed tier own defense forces.
• Forts and defensive walls were built to protect
  caravans.

13
The Plague

• The Bubonic Plague
• A very aggressive epidemic, or rapid spread of
  disease over a large area.
• Bacteria carried by rodents spread it.
• Fleas first infest rodents and them move to
  humans.
• Fleas transfer the bacteria from the rat, through
  a bite, to the human.
• The rat and the human die, and the flea lives.
• Nobody knew how it spread in the 1400s

14
Origination and Spreading

• It probably started in Central Asia and spread
  east to China then back west along the Silk Road.
• It started in Europe in 1347
• It killed approximately one-third to one-fourth
  of Europes population.