Year 7 - History
The First Crusade
The Crusades: did Europeans go on crusade to capture the 'holy land'?
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils develop a deep understanding of the First Crusade's background. They learn how the interplay of events across Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Seljuk Empire led to this significant campaign.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe the key events of the First Crusade and the foundation of the 'crusader states'.
Key Notes
- The First Crusade took place in the later 1090s.
- The People's Crusade was a failure.
- The crusaders faced very harsh conditions during their crusade.
- The events of the First Crusade led to the establishment of the crusader states.
- The Princes' Crusade successfully captured Jerusalem.
Vocabulary To Learn
- crusade: a crusade is a military expedition against a group considered by the papacy to be an enemy of the Church
- Holy Land: the Holy Land is an area in the Middle East that is sacred to three major religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- crusader: a crusader is a Christian who fought in the holy wars authorised by the pope in the medieval period
- outremer: outremer is the name for the Christian crusader states established in the Middle East during the First Crusade: the literal translation from French is 'beyond the sea'
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Christians 'saved' the Holy Land from barbaric Muslim conquerors.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
The First Crusade took place in the later 1090s. The People's Crusade was a failure.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'crusade'
a crusade is a military expedition against a group considered by the papacy to be an enemy of the Church.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Christians 'saved' the Holy Land from barbaric Muslim conquerors. Correction: Muslims had generally treated Christians very well during the 400 or so years that they had controlled the Holy Land. In contrast, when the Christian crusaders arrived in the Holy Land they engaged in barbaric acts.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 7 History guide library.