Great Schism

A sit down with Pope Leo IX

Q: What lead to the Great Schism (1054 C.E.)?
A: There were too many differences between East and West?

Q: What were those differences?
A: There was claims of authority, the patriarch versus the pope, the use of icons, marriage, and Greek versus Latin.

Q: What happened as a result of the Great Schism?
A: The Byzantine Church became known as the Eastern Church and the western branch became known as the Roman Catholic church.

Q: What did you do?

A: The patriarch and I excommunicated each other.

Q: What else happened?

A: Contacts between the two churches were very distant. We treat each other like rivals rather than branches of the same faith.

Columbus leaves Spain

A sit down with Christopher Columbus

Q: Why did you leave Spain?
A: I set forth to the East Indies in search of wealth and prestige.

Q: Were you worried when you couldn't find land?
A: I was very worried. Thoughts of a useless voyage crossed my mind but land was spotted on October 12, 1492.

Q: What were the Tainos and the West Indies like?
A: The Tainos were very friendly and open toward my people. The West Indies were not what we were searching for, but it was nice.

Q: How did you treat the Tainos?
A: We treated them rather harshly. We assaulted, killed and seized the Tainos. I required them to pay gold; if they refused, they were tortured or killed.

Q: What was it like when you returned to Spain?
A: They showered me with love and thanks. I had brought back great knowledge and was a hero.

Q: What did you do after this voyage?
A: I went on three other voyages and discovered previously unknown continents.

Charlemagne

A sit down with Charlemagne (768 C.E.)

Q: How did you get the throne?
A: Well, I am the grandson of Charles Martel. But my brother and I shared the throne for a while until he died which is when I claimed the entire throne.

Q: What do you want to accomplish?
A: I would like to create a unified Christian Europe. I will work closely with the Church and spread Christianity throughout the empire.

Q: How will you keep order in your kingdom?
A: I have appointed powerful nobles to rule local regions. I have also sent out missi dominici to check on roads, listen to grievances, and see that justice was done.

Q: Are you going to do anything about education?
A: I regard education as a way to unify my kingdom. I have set out to revive Latin learning throughout the empire and encourage the creation of local schools. I also want to revive the glory of Rome at my court at Aachen. I have brought many of the best scholars of Europe to the Palace school here.

Q: What do you want your legacy to be?
A: I want to be known for extending Christian civilization and blend it with other traditions. I also want to be known for setting up strong, efficient government. I want others to look at what I did and put it into their kingdom.

Crusades

A sit down with Pope Urban II (1095 C.E.)

Q: How many Crusades were there and what was the purpose of them?
A: There were 9 Crusades, the first one ordered by myself, and the purpose was to reclaim the Holy Land of Jerusalem.

Q: Why were the Crusades called for?
A: I hoped to increase power in Europe and maybe heal the schism between the Roman and Byzantine churches. I also hoped that the Crusades would set Christian knights to fight Muslims instead of one another.

Q: Were the Crusades successful?
A: Yes and no. We returned with knowledge and many great things, but we were also captured and killed by the Muslims in the 3rd and 4th Crusade..

Q: What were the affects?
A: The Crusades did have a significant effect on life in Europe. European economies expanded, the power of monarchs increased, increased papal power, and a wider view on the world was shown. The Crusades also ended the Dark Ages.

Magna Carta

A sit down with King John (1215 C.E.)

Q: How did you end up signing the Magna Carta?
A: The Barons rebelled against me and were complaining about taxes and how I violated their rights.

Q: What did the Magna Carta state?
A: It stated the states rights of the Barons and that I, the King, must obey the law.

Q: What did this lead to?
A: This lead to Due Process of Law.

Q: What is that exactly?
A: It states the rules the government must follow for fair and impartial trial.

Q: This also lead to the development of Parliament. What is that?
A: Parliament is the House of Commons, House of Lords, and they have the Power of the Purse. I agreed to not raise new taxes without consulting the Parliament.

Q: Do you believe the Magna Carta will affect future government?
A: Most definitely. The Magna Carta has ideas that will carry on throughout the future.

Battle of Tours

A sit down with Charles "The Hammer" Martel

Q: What happened at the Battle of Tours and what were its effects?
A: I lead my men, the Franks, against the Muslims. We triumphed at the battle and to us it was a sign that God was on our side. Muslims would no advance no further into Western Europe.

Q: What is the significance of the Battle of Tours?
A: It shows that any kind of people can walk into Europe. They must fight the best to take over, which will not happen under my watch.

Q: Where do you go from here?
A: The only way is up. I plan to set the table for my kin in the expansion of the Roman Empire.

William the Conqueror

A sit down with William the Conqueror (1066 C.E.)

Q: How did you go from William of Normandy to the King of England known as William the Conqueror?
A: I raised an army and won the backing of the pope. I then defeated Harold of England at the Battle of Hastings. I was then crowned King of England.

Q: How will you get control of new land?
A: I will: grant fiefs to Norman lords and the church, keep land for the crown, monitor castles, and all vassels will swear allegiance to me.

Q: How will you learn about your kingdom?
A: I have created the Domesday Book. This is a census of my entire kingdom. This will eventually help create an efficient system of tax collection.

Q: What is the purpose of all this?
A: I am setting the table for future kings to develop an efficient way to rule a kingdom.