Final Semester 2 Flashcards
What are the Crusades? Why were they fought? What was the result?
The Crusades refers to a two hundred year period when Western European kingdoms combined their strength to attempt to create Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land. The Christians and Muslims wanted to secure control of holy sites that were considered sacred to both groups. However, the Crusades happened because Muslim expansion led to three of five Christian patriarchs being captured, the Byzantine Empire was losing territory to the Seljuk Turks, and the Western European kingdoms were competing with the Islamic world for control of seafaring trade in the Mediterranean. As a result, trade and transportation had improved throughout Europe as a result of the Crusades. The wars created a constant demand for supplies and transportation, which resulted in shipbuilding and the manufacturing of various supplies.
Define what a Renaissance is. What was the Italian Renaissance? How do the Crusades connect to the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration? Why is Italy the site of the Renaissance?
A Renaissance is a revival in culture or a renewed interest in something. The Italian Renaissance is the most famous and significant story of Western Civilization. The Italian Renaissance was a period during the 15th and 16th centuries that increased trade relations with Asia and Eastern Europe, rediscovered classical Greek and Roman texts, increased literacy which led to more artistic and technological innovations, and increased power of secular authority like monarchs. The Crusades caused an increase in trade and wealth, leading to the patronizing of the arts and contributing to the Renaissance. The Crusades affected European nations because since they expanded markets east, it opened new markets for European goods and opened Europe to goods from the east. Italy was the site of the Renaissance because it was the birthplace of the Roman Empire and they had been working on establishing Silk Road trade routes for centuries. Plus, they had a lot of universities with the pursuit of new knowledge.
What is the connection between the Columbian Exchange and the Triangular Trade?
The Columbian Exchange refers to the transfer of goods, people, and cultures across the Atlantic. The Triangular Trade refers to the exchange of goods between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Some cultures across the Atlantic used slaves to work the cash crops they grew in the Americas. This helped create the Triangular Trade as profits from the sale of cash crops paid for slaves and also for manufactured goods from Europe.
