13th Century

13th Century, 14th Century, 15th Century, Collection Essays

Politics, Poetry, and Religious Life in Late-Medieval England after the Black Death

Woodcut image of three skeletons dancing with one another above a fourth, who is rising out of the grave to join them. On the far left of the image a fifth skeleton plays a pipe.

Dr. Sarah Wilson, Newberry Library
January 6, 2021

13th Century, 14th Century, 15th Century, Collection Essays

The Legacy of the Middle Ages in the Renaissance and Beyond

Left-hand page from a bound manuscript book with two columns of Latin text and visible guidelines. At the top of the left-hand column is a decorative capital. Parts of the text are decorated with a blue-and-red border.

Dr. Karen Christianson, Newberry Library
May 13, 2016

13th Century, 17th Century, 19th Century, Collection Essays

The Crusades: Motivations, Administration, and Cultural Influence

Reproduction of a colored medieval manuscript illustration showing three white European knights in armor on horses talking to three bearded, darker-skinned men on foot. The darker-skinned men are barefoot and wear long tunics.

What were Western Christian religious beliefs, political relationships, and personal values during the Middle Ages? How did the motives, organization, and effects of the Crusades change over time? How have writers from the eleventh century on criticized the Crusaders’ goals and actions?

Rachel Rooney with Andrew Miller
June 25, 2012