The Middle Ages: Crusades, The Murder of Thomas a Becket, The Magna Carta, & The Black Death

The Crusades began in the eleventh century and lasted several hundred years. The Crusades mainly fought against the Muslims. They wanted to recapture the Jerusalem and the Holy land from the Muslim rule. Every crusader took an vow that he or she was committed to fulfil as a penance. They were fought against those perceived to be the external or internal foes of Christendom for the recovery of Christian property.

The Murder of Thomas a Becket. The situation between Henry and Becket didn't go to plan how the King wanted it to go. Becket did not agree with Henry against the Pope. Becket and Henry argued about how much power church courts should have and they argued a lot more. In 1170 Henry and Becket made an agreement for him(Becket) to become archbishop again. Becket punished everyone that agree with Henry in their arguments and Becket was also criticising Henry in public. Henry didn't like that so he sent his knights to kill Becket. Henry walked barefoot from London to Canterbury to show he was sorry. Becket was made a saint after his death.

The Magna Carta. It require King John of England to proclaim certain rights and accept that his will could be ruled by the law. Magna Carta influenced the development of common law and many constitutional documents. In 1215 King John agreed to the demands of his barons and authorized that handwritten copies of Magna Carta was sealed.

The Black Death. "was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis,but recently attributed by some to other diseases" (wikipedia). They thought it began in Central Asia or India and was brought to Europe in the 1340's. Black Death killed up to 30% to 60% of the Europe population. There are three different types the bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic and the bubonic was the most common seen.