1 Women were even known to fight in the crusades. They would dress in men's clothing and got into battle.
2 The main goal of the crusades was to control Jerusalem and the Holy Land. It was significant to different groups for different reasons.
3 The Jewish people wanted to control Jerusalem because it was the site where King Solomon built the original temple to God.
4 The Christian people wanted to control Jerusalem because it was the site where Christ was crucified and rose from the dead.
5 The Muslim people wanted to control Jerusalem because it was the site where Muhammad ascended into heaven.
6 The crusades were fought mainly between the Arabs that controlled Jerusalem and Europe's armies, mainly the Holly Roman Empire.
The first crusade was fought between 30,000 soldiers from Europe (including commoners, peasants, and knights) and the Seljuk Turks, who had taken control of The Holy Land from the Arabs.
7 The main crusades took place over a period of 200 years. They began in 1095 and continued until 1272.
8 The first crusade occurred between 1095 and 1099. The European armies took control of the Jerusalem by driving out the Seljuk Turks.
9 The second crusade occurred between 1147 and 1149. The Turks conquered Edessa in 1146, and decimated the population, but the second crusade was unsuccessful in regaining control.
10 The third crusade occurred between 1187 and 1192. The Sultan of Egypt recaptured Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187, and Germany, France, and England fought to regain control, unsuccessfully.
