Great Schism

Background: The Great Schism was the splitting of the Eastern and Western churches of the Byzantine Empire in 1054 AD.

Interview with the Pope after the Great Schism.

Q: What caused the Great Schism in 1054?
A: A disagreement between the ideas of political and theological ideas was the main reason the Great Schism happened.


Q: What were the major effects of the Great Schism?

A: The Great Schism made two different societies with two different religions. The West being catholic, the East, Orthodox.

Charlemagne

Charlemagne brought back education to the Middle Ages and fought many campaigns to expand his kingdom of Christianity.

Interview with Charlemagne.

Q: How did you get your kingdom?

A: In 800 AD I became the king of half my father's empire. When my brother died I also got that half. I ran over 50 military  campaigns to expand my kingdom and spread Christianity by force. I also opened up education to all classes. My reign was a small opening of light in the Dark Ages.

Q: How did you spread Christianity?
A: I took over areas and told them to surrender and convert to my religion or die.

Cursades

Interview with Pope.

Q: What were the Crusades?
A: The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars to gain and regain control of the Jerusalem and the Holy Land. They were all ordered by the Popes. The campaigns were all fought from 1096 until about two hundred years later.

Q: Were all the Crusades successful?
A: No. Some some did not accomplish the goal to capture the Holy City. Others were not even directed at the Middle East and Islam, but towards heretics and other groups against the Catholic church.

Q: What were important about the Crusades?
A: The Crusades were all ordered by the Pope and gave the him power over the king as well as his subjects. This power. Also, when Jerusalem was won over again by the Europeans, it showed what was happening outside of the Dark Ages in Europe and interested them of the world so different from theirs.



Columbus Leaves Spain

Background: Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas and back on a series of explorations starting in 1492.

Interview of Christopher Columbus after his first of four round trips across the Atlantic Ocean

Q: How did you prepare for this trip?
A: I was funded by Queen Isabella I of Spain for my frist voyage to the New World in 1492. I was given three ships: the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

Q: What did you expect to find?
A: I thought it would be a faster route to Asia to trade for spices and other riches. Instead I found two islands that had precious metals and other unknown plants like tobacco and the pineapple.

Magna Carta

King John was froced by his nobles to sign the Magna Carta in 1215 after a terrible series of events he caused. This document restriced and gave rights to people.

Q: What events led up to the signing of the Magna Carta?

A: After my brother left on the third crusade I was in charge of his kingdom. I lost Normandy to France and placed a high tax and had disputes with bishops and the Pope.

Q: What were some of the major changes after the signing of the document?

A: The signing of this document limited the power of the monarchy so that the rulers have to obey rules as well as the people.

Q: How does this affect us today?

A: The Magna Carta established a parliament so the Executive branch of government so it must have clearance to pass a law.

William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror was a king during the dark ages starting on Christmas Day of 1066 AD.

Interview with William the Conqueror.

Q: How did you become King?
A: I became King by fighting my rival Harald III who claimed that he had the right to the throne. I defeated him at the Battle of Hastings.

Q: What did you do as King of England?

A: When I was King I made a book known to the people as the Doomsday Book. This kept a record of all of my people's possession for taxation purposes. My idea of this book is similar to taxation today.

Battle of Tours

Background: At the Battle of Tours in 732, the Muslims were turned back after attempting to take over the Barbarian West.

Interview with Charles the Hammer Martel.

Q: What events lead up to the Battle of Tours?

A: Muslims from the Umayyad Dynasty proceeded to expand their Empire up to modern day France. I used church funds to train men to stop them. At tours we defeated the Muslims and stopped their move forward into Europe.

Q: What were the major outcomes on both sides after the Muslim defeat?

A: This victory led to the stop of the Umayyad Dynasty's advance into Europe and allowed the Franks to stay Christian and finally go to a path to Charlemagne, my granson.



Rome Sacked/Falls to Barbarians

Background: Barbarian tribes north of the Roman Empire sacked Rome in 410.

Interview with Alaric after the Sack of Rome

Q: What events lead up to the sack of Rome?
A: After being pushed into the Roman Empire by the Huns, we became hungry and laid siege on the city of Rome. They came close to starving and opened the Salarian gate on August 24, 410 AD. We poured into the city to loot it but found little food.

Q: What were the effects of the sack of Rome?
A: The Sack of Rome in 410 marked the beginning of the Middle Ages or Dark Ages



Constantine the Great

Background: Constantine the Great was the emperor of the eastern half of the Roman Empire.

Interview with Constantine.

Q: What were some facts about your empire?
A: My empire was the eastern part of the Roman Empire after it was split in half by Diocletian. Its main religion was Christianity and flourished in trade with its surrounding areas on the Silk Road and across the Mediterranean Sea.

Q: How was the Byzantine Empire created?
A: After my victory at Battle of Milvian Bridge I controlled almost all of the former Roman Empire. I saw a symbol from the One God in the sky before the battle and He helped my win the battle in 312 AD.

Q: What is the main religion of your empire? 
A: My empire is Christian. It spread through the centuries and is now a major world religion.

Julius Caesar/Fall of the Roman Republic

Background: Julius Caesar played the main role that changed the Roman Republic into an empire.

Interview with Julius Caesar

Q: How did Rome become an empire rather than a republic?
A: I deliberately crossed the Rubicon River with a legion of soldiers which was illegal for me to do. I then defeated a revolt under Pompey and forced the senate to make me the dictator of Rome.

Q: What was the difference between Rome as a republic and empire?
A: In the Roman Republic it was ruled by the people through the senate. But when it became an empire it was ruled by only one person.

Q: How did you die?

A: I died in 44 BC by being stabbed to death by the senate.


Alexander the Great

Background: Alexander the Great was a commander that fought in vengeance of his father.

Interview with Alexander the Great.

Q: What were some of your accomplishments?
A: I conquered almost half of the known world at the time including Persia which was a very powerful empire at that time. It covered the Middle East and parts of North Africa, as well as Asia Minor and Syria. I spread a Hellenistic culture.

Q: When did these events happen?
A: When I was twenty in 336 BC I became the King of Macedonia and started my military campaign to defeat the Persian empire shortly after.

The Golden Age of Greece

Background: Many philosophers came out of this period in Greek history. Theatre and other arts and sciences also flourished roughly from 500-300 BC. 

Interview with Socrates, a philosopher during the Golden Age of Greece

Q: What made this time period the Golden Age?

A: During this period there were changes in philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy as well as art. Sculptures, drama, and even music was very advanced at this time. The idea of humanism developed during this time.

Q:Who were some other people that came out of this time period?

A: Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle taught during this age.

Q: What made this time period important?

A: This time period produced the idea of humanism which is a mojor part of our society today.