Life Before the Crusades/Cause:
-Feudal Lords had a lot of money
- Economy ran smoothly
-The economic system in Europe was in a state of transition as well as continuing struggles for land and power.
Course of the Crusades:
-A way for younger sons to gain land and position in society since the oldest son got everything.
-For peasants, this was a chance to escape from their dreary life in the feudal system.
-It was a chance to have an adventure, and perhaps even to get rich.
- Crusaders said they needed money to defend Constantinople from the same fate as Jerusalem and to rescue Jerusalem from Muslims
Effects of the Crusades:
- Trade increased throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East
- Some Europeans and Muslims began trading with eachother
- Goods such as spices, cotton, linen, coral, pearls, porcelain, silk, and metal goods were traded