Paige+McCall

toc 1. Introduction--Describe a general cause or causes of the conflict.
I believe that greed mixed with passion was the greatest cause of the Crusades. Greed is shown in Seljuks expanding their kingdom for more room to rule, and passion is shown in three seperate religious groups that were so passionate about their religion that they refused to back down, and give up the land that belonged to their people. These two factors mixed together caused the great tradjety of the Crusades.


 * Who- Christians, like Richard I and Anna Comnena, Muslims, like Salah al- Din and Usamah ibn- Munqidh, and Jews, like Eliezar ben Nathan and Eleazar ben Judah, participated in the Crusades.
 * What- Crusades, a religious battle, took place, fighting for control over the holy land, specifically Jerusalem.
 * When- The Crusades took place from the year 1096 to 1291 C.E, although major crusades went to 1192.
 * Where- The Crusades took place throughout Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, in cities like Jerusalem, Constantinople, Acre, Antioch, and Clermont.

3. Causal Factors--Describe three factors that led to The Crusades.

 * Seljuk Truks began expanding their land accross the Middle East.
 * Seljuk Turks advanced within 100 miles of Constantinople.
 * Christians began to worry about the holy land, and Christians living there.
 * Pope Urban II called church leaders to Clermont and offered entry to hevan for those who help fight back.

4. Most Important Factor--Explain how one factor was more important than the others.
The most important factor during the crusades was probably the Seljuk Turks advancing within 100 miles of Constantinople. This is because when this happened, the Christians went crazy with worry. Then the Pope called church leaders to Clermont. The Turks advancing army caused the other causal factors. If the Turks had not come near the Holy Land that was so valuable to not only Christians, but Muslims and Jews too, then there probably would not have been crusades at that time. The Muslims could have continued their rule, allowing the Jews and Christians to live there and worship in peace, like they had before. That is why I think that the most important factor was the Seljuk Turks advancing so close to Constantinople.

5. Impacts--Explain how one religous group and an individual within that group were impacted by The Crusades.
The Jews were impacted by the crusades as much as Christians and Muslims, if not more. They were constantly being massacred. Entire Jewish towns could be destroyed at once, and everyone in them slaughtered. For people in Europe, Asia, and even North Africa, it was an incredibly dangerous time to be a Jew- especially for the Jews who were very passionate about their religion. Some Jews would kill their family and selves, rather then convert to a different religion. During the First Crusade, "Jews fought side-by-side with Muslim soldiers to defend Jerusalem against the Crusaders." (Wikipedia.) Jews in France suffered greatly during the Second Crusade, and Philip Augustus treated Jews with exceptional severity during the Third Crusade. One individual who was extremely impacted during the Crusades, in perhaps one of the worst ways possible, was a Jewish mystic and Talmudic scholar, Eleazar ben Judah. In the year 1196, when he was in his home with his family, 2 Christian crusaders marched in, killing his wife, Dulcina, his two daughters, Belat and Hannah, and his son, Jacob. Not only had he just lost his family, but his source of income. "His wife had conducted a business in parchment scrolls in order to support the family and enable him to devote all his time to study." (Kohler)The impacts on the Jews as a group were large, but as individuals, they could be even greater.

6. Conclusion--Explain how The Crusades could have been avoided.
<span style="color: #ff0091; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I think that if the crusades hadn't happened, that it would not have been a big deal. I think that the crusades were unnecessary. The Crusades took many lives, and injured many people. Before the Seljuk Turks advanced, everything was going well. The Muslims were ruling Jerusalem in a peaceful manner, allowing Jews and Christians to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The Muslims respected the other two religions, because they were also "People of the Book." They could have continued their peaceful rule without the Crusades and loss of many lives, if The Crusades hadn't begun. In conclusion, if the Seljuk Turks didn't advance towards the Holy Land, then the whole war could have been avoided completely.

<span style="color: #ff0091; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">7. Works Cited--List your sources in MLA format
==<span style="color: #ff0091; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Unknown, "Eleazar ben Judah of Worms Biography." __Biography.com.__ Unknown. Unknown Accessed March 3, 2010. []. ==

==<span style="color: #ff0091; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Kohler, Kaufmann. "ELEAZAR BEN JUDAH BEN KALONYMUS OF WORMS." __Jewish Encyclopedia.__ 2002. Unknown. Accessed March 3, 2010. []. ==