1. At the eastern end of the Mediter-ranean Sea is a small land once known is Palestine. To the people of Europe in the Middle Ages, Palestine was one of the most important places in the world. It was the Holy Land, the home of the Christian religion. In the Holy Land Christ had lived, taught, and died. In the 11th century, the Turks captured Palestine. The Turks were followers of Moham-med and did not believe in the Christian religion. They were not friendly to the Christians who made long journey to the holy places. In time, the Turks closed Palestine to visits from Christians. This made the people of Europe angry because they felt they should be allowed to travel freely in the land where their religion has been born.

2. The head of the Christian Church was the Pope. In 1095, he called the meeting of kings and nobles. He told them how the Turks were treating the Christians in Palestine. He called on all Christians to unite against the Turks and drive them from the Holy Land. Before long, Kings and knights in large numbers set out to fight the Turks. People from all over Western Europe also left their homes to follow them. This was the first of many attempts to win back the Holy Land. These wars were called the Crusades. The name comes from the Latin crux, or cross, which the Crusaders wore on their clothing. The Crusades lasted almost 200 years. Many thousands died in battle but the Christians could not hold on to the land they gained in the east.

The Crusades changed, however, the lives of the people of Western Europe. The people of Europe had thought that the world was small and flat. The Mediterranean Sea seem to be the center of the world. During the Crusades many people left their homes and traveled to distant places for the first time. The Crusaders learned that the world was much larger than they had believed. They returned with stories of Asian people whose ways of living were different from their own. From these eastern lands they brought back soaps, perfumes, jewels, and spices like pepper and cinnamon. These spices kept food from spoiling and made it taste better. The people of Europe wanted these things. Before long a lively trade developed between the people of Europe and the people of Asia.

What is the main idea of #1? ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the main idea of #2? ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

1

2

Crusades Main Idea Name ____________________________

3. At the same time there were several men who began to travel to the unknown and mysterious lands of the Far East describe by the Crusaders. The best known travelers were Marco Polo and his two uncles. In the 13th century, these traders from Italian city of Venice visited Cathay, which we call China. They lived at the court of it’s ruler, the Great Khan. When Marco Polo return to Venice, he wrote an account of his travels. He told of the riches of the far east and of seeing a large ocean east of China and India. Marco Polo’s stories increased the desire to trade with the east.

The spices and other goods came from India, China, and islands near southeastern Asia. These faraway places were known as the Indies or the lands of the Far East. The goods were brought to the cities at the eastern end of the Medi-terranean Sea, either by land or by sea. The route over land crossed the deserts and mountains of Asia. The goods were carried on the backs of camels. On the water, the good were carried by ships from China and India to the Red Sea. Both of these routes were very long and dangerous, and the prices of the goods were high.

What is the main idea of #3? ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the main idea of #4? ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

1

2

4. Most of the new trade with the lands at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea was carried on by Italian merchants. The spices, rugs, and jewels were brought to Italy first. Italian cities of Venice and Genoa became the most important cities of Europe. From these ports, goods were sold the other merchants all over Europe. In time, people from other parts of Europe became jealous of the rich Italian traders and wanted a share their trade.

5. Men began to study maps looking for routes that would bring goods from the East to cities other than Venice and Genoa. Even the merchants of the Italian city soon wanted to find new routes for their trade. The Turks had conquered more land and had cut off the land routes to the Italian ports. Was there another way to the east? Some men began to say that the earth was not flat, and it was possible to go all the way to the east by water. About 1450, printing with movable type was invented. Europeans learned how to print books faster. Books about geography and travel became cheaper and more plentiful. One of the books that was read widely was the account of the travels of Marco Polo. His book was read eagerly by people who were looking for new ways to get the riches of the Far East.

What is the main idea of #5? ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the main idea of #6? ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the main idea of #7?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

1

2

6. Two inventions, the compass and the astrolabe, were of great help to sailors. The compass tells the sailor the direction in which he is traveling. The astrolabe helps the captain place the position of his ship exactly. With these inventions, captains could sail their ships farther from land and bring them safely home again.

Meanwhile a young man in Portugal was determined to reach the rich lands of Asia. Prince Henry, a young son of the king of Portugal, wanted Portugal to have a share of the rich Eastern trade. He thought it was possible to discover an all-water route to India and China by sailing around the continent of Africa. He started a school to train ship captains. Each year he urged his captains to sail farther and farther southward. Prince Henry died in 1460, but his dream came true. In 1847, a Portuguese Captain, Bartholomew Diaz, sailed around the southern tip of Africa. Ten years later, Vasco da Gama rounded Africa and sailed on to India. A new route had been found. The ships of da Gama brought back enough pepper, gems and cloth to pay for the cost of the voyage more than 60 times.

7. The Portuguese were now the masters of the new all-water route to the Far East. It was longer, but it meant great wealth for the Portuguese. They set up trading posts in India to trade with the people of the Far East. Goods were brought to Europe by the sailors of Portugal and were sold for lower prices than those of Italian merchants. Water transportation was not so costly as the hard trip by camel caravan. Since Portugal was now getting rich, there was a rush by other countries to find a shorter route to the East.