Ap World History Comparative Essay
The Americas and Europe from 1000 to 1500 could not have seemed more different. While the main difference between Europe and the Americas was their lack of knowledge and interaction between each other, there are some other more specific differences between these societies. This paper will cover some of the differences between Europe and the Americas during this time period.
Religion in the Americas varied between the different empires. Often the settlements would believe in a deity, or deities, that would affect their way of life, from their origins to their ability to grow crops. For example, the Aztecs had multiple Gods, and specifically built their capital, Tenochtitlan, around their beliefs, including shrines for their gods. “Tlaloc, the …show more content…
The politics in Europe were closely tied to religion. The main religion of Europe was Christianity, ran by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church had close ties to the political climate of Europe. This ranged from monarchs that were devout to Christianity, to rulers that were directly supported by The Catholic Church, “the church sought to collaborate with monarchs and princes, not replace them, but nevertheless asserted that princes held their authority because the pope granted it.” (Dunn and Mitchell 358) There was also a spread of Christianity during this time-period due to the various crusades. Knights would invade non-Christian communities in order to spread Christianity, and these nations would be forced to convert to Christianity. These crusades were a mixture of religious and economic expansion. “In 1099, they took Jerusalem and killed most of its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. This campaign was the first of seven major crusades that stretched over two hundred years. All of them declared their mission to win and hold the Holy Land, but in reality European knights were eager to capture any Mediterranean territory that offered land and wealth.” (Dunn and Mitchell 362) This focus on religion would also spread into the art world as artists would be commissioned to create pieces that were inspired and dedicated to religion. Europe would also trade goods and techniques with these
Religion in the Americas varied between the different empires. Often the settlements would believe in a deity, or deities, that would affect their way of life, from their origins to their ability to grow crops. For example, the Aztecs had multiple Gods, and specifically built their capital, Tenochtitlan, around their beliefs, including shrines for their gods. “Tlaloc, the …show more content…
The politics in Europe were closely tied to religion. The main religion of Europe was Christianity, ran by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church had close ties to the political climate of Europe. This ranged from monarchs that were devout to Christianity, to rulers that were directly supported by The Catholic Church, “the church sought to collaborate with monarchs and princes, not replace them, but nevertheless asserted that princes held their authority because the pope granted it.” (Dunn and Mitchell 358) There was also a spread of Christianity during this time-period due to the various crusades. Knights would invade non-Christian communities in order to spread Christianity, and these nations would be forced to convert to Christianity. These crusades were a mixture of religious and economic expansion. “In 1099, they took Jerusalem and killed most of its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. This campaign was the first of seven major crusades that stretched over two hundred years. All of them declared their mission to win and hold the Holy Land, but in reality European knights were eager to capture any Mediterranean territory that offered land and wealth.” (Dunn and Mitchell 362) This focus on religion would also spread into the art world as artists would be commissioned to create pieces that were inspired and dedicated to religion. Europe would also trade goods and techniques with these