Western Civilization-

Please choose just one of the following questions to answer for the Forum Assignment this week. After you post your own answer, you will need to respond to at least three of your fellow classmates' initial posts.

• Initial Post must be at least 250 words long

• Peer Responses must be at least 125 words long.

1. A medieval German proverb states: "the city air will set you free." What was "the city air" like in many medieval towns? Using what you learned from the readings, do you agree with the proverb? Why or why not?

2. During the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, more than 13,000 French Protestants (Huguenots) were killed because of their religious beliefs. Based on the information in our textbook and any other research you might do, who do you think was most responsible for the religious tensions getting out of control and erupting into widespread bloodshed? Why?

3. People rarely make decisions based on one single factor. In the quest to discover new lands, establish trade routes and colonize, what do you think motivated the explorers the most? Be sure to discuss at least one specific explorer in your post.