Section II: Trade and Towns Section II: Trade and Towns Grow Grow

(Pages 296-301)(Pages 296-301)

Section II: Trade and Towns Section II: Trade and Towns Grow Grow

(Pages 296-301)(Pages 296-301) This section is about:This section is about: How trade revived as a How trade revived as a

result of agricultural result of agricultural improvements and the improvements and the growth of trade fairs.growth of trade fairs.

How trade contributed to How trade contributed to the growth of towns, and the growth of towns, and how it was adversely how it was adversely affected by the Black affected by the Black Death.Death.

Cultural achievements of Cultural achievements of this period.this period.

Look at the vocab. words Look at the vocab. words on page 296.on page 296.

And, the picture on 296: And, the picture on 296: what are they doing?what are they doing?

And… the picture on 299 – And… the picture on 299 – whatwhat’’s going on?s going on?

One thing that helps when One thing that helps when you read: look for what you read: look for what youyou’’re going to read about.re going to read about.

Each page has a red Each page has a red lettered heading on it. lettered heading on it. LetLet’’s preview what this s preview what this sectionsection’’s about.s about.

The Revival of TradeThe Revival of Trade By 1000, there were By 1000, there were

agricultural changes in agricultural changes in Europe that led to new Europe that led to new trade growth.trade growth. The invention of an iron The invention of an iron

plow.plow. An new way to team up An new way to team up

and harness horses.and harness horses. Windmills as a source of Windmills as a source of

power.power. Rotating crops led to Rotating crops led to

bigger yields.bigger yields. Better markets for Better markets for

selling surplus crops.selling surplus crops.

Trade at Home and AbroadTrade at Home and Abroad

Fairs started to develop: Fairs started to develop: often at key trading often at key trading routes (near rivers?).routes (near rivers?).

These were safe places These were safe places to buy and sell products.to buy and sell products.

They were also places to They were also places to socialize, share news, socialize, share news, and maybe even be and maybe even be entertained.entertained.

In the Middle Ages, they In the Middle Ages, they even started to develop even started to develop into bigger events, with into bigger events, with large cities taking turns large cities taking turns hosting these events.hosting these events.

Regional Trade RoutesRegional Trade Routes

NorthernNorthern: The Baltic Sea : The Baltic Sea and the North Sea.and the North Sea.

Germans formed a group to Germans formed a group to protect itprotect it’’s members from s members from pirates and foreign pirates and foreign competition.competition.

SouthernSouthern: The : The Mediterranean Sea Mediterranean Sea (especially Venice). (especially Venice).

By the 1200By the 1200’’s, Venice was s, Venice was rich – from trade and from rich – from trade and from things crusaders brought things crusaders brought back.back.

Genoa also became rich – Genoa also became rich – as a money changing as a money changing center (banking). They center (banking). They controlled what everyonecontrolled what everyone’’s s money was worth money was worth compared to each other.compared to each other.

The Growth of TownsThe Growth of Towns

Medieval towns Medieval towns and cities started and cities started growing at this growing at this time.time.

Before 1000: the Before 1000: the manor system and manor system and the feudal system.the feudal system.

By 1300, more By 1300, more people were people were moving to cities, so moving to cities, so there were less there were less serfs and peasants.serfs and peasants.

Merchants and the New Middle Merchants and the New Middle ClassClass

The trading and commercial The trading and commercial centers of this time ended centers of this time ended up and becoming towns up and becoming towns (with about 500-3000 (with about 500-3000 people).people).

The idea of city-states was The idea of city-states was reborn – with people reborn – with people governing themselves (not a governing themselves (not a ““lordlord”” of a manor). of a manor).

French and English people French and English people were even asking for written were even asking for written agreements to choose their agreements to choose their own leaders and set up their own leaders and set up their own courts.own courts.

To get this, it did mean To get this, it did mean paying taxes to the king. paying taxes to the king. These merchants and These merchants and craftspeople (burghers) craftspeople (burghers) started a middle class of started a middle class of citizens who had rights of citizens who had rights of personal liberty.personal liberty.

Establishing GuildsEstablishing Guilds

The merchants and The merchants and craftspeople at this time craftspeople at this time formed formed guildsguilds (people who (people who perform the same craft or perform the same craft or specialty).specialty).

This guild would promote This guild would promote the business and the the business and the personal well-being of itpersonal well-being of it’’s s members (like a union members (like a union today).today).

The guilds were made up The guilds were made up of merchants, bakers , of merchants, bakers , weavers, tailors, dyers, weavers, tailors, dyers, goldsmiths, etc…).goldsmiths, etc…).

Middle Ages Guilds

Guilds:Guilds: Set standards for products Set standards for products

and services. (If your and services. (If your product or service was bad, product or service was bad, or you didnor you didn’’t obey the rules, t obey the rules, you were fined).you were fined).

Regulated or controlled Regulated or controlled competition between competition between members (fairness, working members (fairness, working conditions, hours, etc…).conditions, hours, etc…).

Provided education and Provided education and training for ittraining for it’’s members: s members: start as an start as an apprenticeapprentice (learner), move to (learner), move to journeyman, and then journeyman, and then become a master.become a master.

Guilds could also often end Guilds could also often end up being a social group of up being a social group of people with common people with common personal interests and personal interests and needs.needs.

Plague and Social UpheavalPlague and Social Upheaval At the start of the At the start of the

13001300’’s, there were s, there were food shortages, and food shortages, and then high prices.then high prices.

Then came the most Then came the most serious of crises: serious of crises: massive disease massive disease known as the plague known as the plague or the Black Death or the Black Death (spots of blood turned (spots of blood turned black under your skin).black under your skin).

In the 1300In the 1300’’s: up to s: up to 1/3 of all people died 1/3 of all people died from starvation or the from starvation or the Plague.Plague.

The Spread of the PlagueThe Spread of the Plague In 5 years, about 25 million In 5 years, about 25 million

people died in Europe and people died in Europe and Asia.Asia.

No-one knew how the No-one knew how the epidemicepidemic (disease that (disease that affects a large number of affects a large number of people) spread.people) spread.

Your best chance of Your best chance of surviving was to move away surviving was to move away from people.from people.

It probably spread through It probably spread through fleas (people had fleas then fleas (people had fleas then – they were everywhere), – they were everywhere), who had bitten rats (who who had bitten rats (who were everywhere then).were everywhere then).

Rats also liked to travel – on Rats also liked to travel – on trading ships, so the disease trading ships, so the disease could spread to new places.could spread to new places.

We should look at the We should look at the picture on page 299.picture on page 299.

The The Black DeathBlack Death was was probably a combination of probably a combination of 3-4 different diseases.3-4 different diseases.

Some people died right Some people died right away (like they were away (like they were poisoned).poisoned).

Others fell into a deep Others fell into a deep sleep/coma for about a sleep/coma for about a week, and then died.week, and then died.

The people with black The people with black spots probably had bubonic spots probably had bubonic plague.plague.

Others had the Pneumonic Others had the Pneumonic Plague (spread through the Plague (spread through the air and into peopleair and into people’’s s lungs).lungs).

Another form struck the Another form struck the central nervous system and central nervous system and caused convulsions.caused convulsions.

Some places were worse Some places were worse than others.than others.

Half of Florence, Italy died. Half of Florence, Italy died. About 1000 English About 1000 English

towns/villages were towns/villages were completely gone. completely gone.

Some places couldnSome places couldn’’t even t even bury all the dead.bury all the dead.

Consequences Consequences of of

the Black Deaththe Black Death The Black Death was the The Black Death was the

most significant natural most significant natural event of the Middle Ages.event of the Middle Ages.

It took 250 years for the It took 250 years for the population to grow to the population to grow to the same size.same size.

Farms were now smaller.Farms were now smaller. Trade was affected Trade was affected

(shortage of workers).(shortage of workers). The people who were left The people who were left

were much more valuable, were much more valuable, so they got to live better so they got to live better lives.lives.

Life and Culture and… Life and Culture and… Philosophy, Education, and Philosophy, Education, and

LiteratureLiterature There were some There were some

achievements during achievements during this time inthis time in

The most important The most important philosopher of the philosopher of the time: St. Thomas time: St. Thomas Aquinas.Aquinas.

He wanted to unite He wanted to unite AristotleAristotle’’s ideas, s ideas, Christian ideas, and Christian ideas, and world knowledge into world knowledge into one belief system.one belief system.

This is also the time This is also the time (1200(1200’’s) of the first s) of the first universities in Europe: in universities in Europe: in Paris, France, Bologna, Paris, France, Bologna, Italy, and Oxford, England.Italy, and Oxford, England.

People could now officially People could now officially study philosophy, theology, study philosophy, theology, (religious teachings), law, (religious teachings), law, and medicine.and medicine.

People also stopped using People also stopped using Latin for the language of Latin for the language of education and started using education and started using their own (the vernacular).their own (the vernacular).

This led to new forms of This led to new forms of literature (poetry, romance, literature (poetry, romance, fiction, comedy, and fiction, comedy, and drama) – which appealed to drama) – which appealed to much larger audiences. much larger audiences.

Now: even people without Now: even people without an education could enjoy an education could enjoy themselves.themselves.

Two Medieval WritersTwo Medieval Writers Dante Alighieri (Italian) Dante Alighieri (Italian)

wrote in Italian.wrote in Italian. HeHe’’s thought of as the s thought of as the

Father of Italian Literature.Father of Italian Literature. His masterpiece (The Divine His masterpiece (The Divine

Comedy) wrote an Comedy) wrote an imaginary tale about his imaginary tale about his soulsoul’’s 10 day journey from s 10 day journey from hell to heaven.hell to heaven.

Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (English).(English).

Wrote The Canterbury Wrote The Canterbury Tales: a poem told from Tales: a poem told from the point of view of the point of view of pilgrims.pilgrims.