Changes in Medieval Society

 :  ag., trade, & finance made advances  towns & cities grew  birth of the university

I. Commercial Revolution  Trade almost died out after 400s  Manors were self-sufficient  Comm. Rev. = expansion of trade & business

A. Trade Routes  Italy = trade center of Euro.  Geographic location  “Go-betweens” (Venice, Genoa, & Pisa)  Crusades helped Italian city-states trade

 Trade revived in N. Euro.  Before 1000: Viking traders traveled to Const.  1100s: Flanders (Belgium, Fr., & Netherlands)  Trade route meeting point  Became textile H.Q. of Euro. (Ghent & Bruges)

Flanders

 Hamburg, Lubeck, & Bremen (Germany)  Important commercial cities on N. & Baltic Seas  Formed the Hanseatic League (eventually 100)  1300s & 1400s = powerful commercial influence  Trading posts in Flanders, Scandinavia, England, & Russia

B. Articles of Trade  Luxury or “exotic” goods (E. & S.W. Asia)  From Asia:  Spices, medicines, perfumes, dyes, gems, silk, cotton, linens, textiles, rugs, grain, fruit  From Europe:  Fur, timber, fish, grain, wine, oil, leather, weapons, glass, wool

C. Markets & Fairs  Merchants needed places to sell goods  Fairs: rulers charged sales tax  Offered protection (armed guards)  Champagne (N.E. Fr.) – laid along major route  Held best-known fairs  Many kinds of currencies existed (money changers)  Entertainment

D. Manufacturing, Banking, & Investment  1. Manufacturing:  Grew out of trade  Domestic system (cottage industry)  Woolen industry

 2. Banking:  “bank” (“banca”)  Lending money  Rulers, nobles, & merchants had to borrow $  3. Capital:  Wealth earned, saved, & invested to produce profits *MARKET ECONOMY ! PRIVATE OWNERSHIP!

II. The Growth of Towns  : pop. Rose from 30 mill. to 42 mill.  Towns grew & flourished  Euro. towns (Paris) were tiny compared to Const.

A. Trade & Towns Grow  Towns grew at important locations for trade

1. Life in Towns  Narrow streets filled w/human & animal waste---no sewers  Most never bathed  Houses lacked fresh air, light, clean water  Built of wood (fire hazard)  Many people moved to towns (opps.)

B. The Rights of Townspeople  Manorial system faded as towns grew  Manufacturing & trade rose  Townies wanted control of govt.  Lords granted “charters of liberties”  Had 4 Basic Rights:  1. Freedom (serfs)  “Town air makes you free”—serfdom declined  2. Exempt Status  3. Town Justice  4. Commercial Privileges

C. The Guilds  Merchants united (danger in travel)  Convoys  Merchant Guild:  Gained a monopoly  Acted as charitable orgs.  Craft Guild:  Skilled artisans (manufacturing)  Set standards of quality

 Dominated by men  Preliminary stages of training:  Apprentice  Parents paid tuition  Lived at home of Master craftsman  Lasted 5-9 yrs.  Journeyman  Skilled artisan who worked for $$$$  Became a Master by submitting a “masterpiece”  Master  Had own shop

D. Rise of the Middle Class  New class emerged  Were known as:  Burgesses (England)  Bourgeoisie (Fr.)  Burghers (Germany)  From “burg” or “borough” = “town”  Wanted stable & uniform govts.

III. Revival of Learning  Contact w/Muslims & Byz. (Crusades)  Had libraries (Greek philosophy)  Most scholarship disappeared (fall of Rome)

A. Muslim Connection  1100s: Christians scholars visited Muslim libraries (Spain)  Jewish scholars translated Arabic into Latin  Science, philosophy, law, & mathematics  Crusaders brought back technology

B. The University  Center of learning = monasteries  Schools opened in towns  Teachers charged tuition  Formed guilds (“universitas” = “assoc. of people”)  “university” = people organized w/purpose of teaching & learning

 Early outstanding Universities:  Paris & Oxford (Eng.) = theology & liberal arts (Latin, arithematic, geometry, astronomy, & music)  Bologna (Italy) = civil & canon law  Salerno (Italy) medicine  Est. standard courses of study  Bachelor of arts (apprenticeship)  Master of arts (became teacher)

IV. The Black Death  1347: plague swept thru Euro.  Originated in Asia  Spread via trade  Types: (caused by fleas on rats)  1. bubonic: infected lymph nodes, swelling, high fever  2. pneumonic: infected lungs, very contagious  Wiped out 1/3 of Euro. pop.