Debate:  Joan of Arc

 

 

Proposition:  The religious arguments used to condemn Joan of Arc are less convincing than the political reasons for doing so.

 

Medieval Worlds pp. 486-490 presents the basic historical background for this debate.

 

 

Background presentations:

 

Team 1:  Describe the causes of, and the first two phases of, the Hundred Years' War (1337-1396)

 

Team 2:  Describe the second two phases of the Hundred Years' War (1396-1453) and the war's outcome.

 

 

Debate:

 

Team 1:  argue for the Proposition

 

Team 2:  argue against the Proposition

 

 

Primary source evidence

 

Primary sources for Joan of Arc can be found here.  They include the trial transcripts and also the materials from the rehabilitation trials at which her sentence was reversed, and also a contemporary account of her history.  I suggest that you focus on the transcripts of the trials and execution (i.e. the first half of the document).

 

 

Other resources

 

There are many websites devoted to Joan of Arc.  One rather comprehensive one is found here.  The International Joan of Arc Society's webpage is here.