The “Commercial Revolution” Medieval Society Comes of Age

Why a “Commercial Revolution?”  Population Growth –Climate –Relative Peace –Agricultural Technology From Scratch Plow to Heavy Plow Three Field System and Fertilizers Horse Collar, Stirrup, and Horseshoe Mills –Rural Routines and Yields

How the Rise of Cities Challenged Medieval Values  Town, Country and Commerce  Urban “values” and medieval assumptions. –Commerce, work, and warfare. –Profit motives and the Church –“principles of fraternity” or Corporatism

Urban Communes and Government  Establishment of city governments –Charters and the written word –Communes and “liberties” –Corps or social bodies. –Organization of government  The relationship between town, kings, and the warrior nobility

Urban Industry  Towns and the Guilds –Guilds defined –Merchant and artisanal guilds  Social hierarchy within the guilds –Masters, journeymen, and apprentices.  The ‘unincorporated’.

Commerce and the Cities  The Fairs Commercial improvements notaries  Banking and Credit –The sin of “usury” –Partnership contracts –commenda –Money and Minting

Money Liards or copper coins  12 denier = 1 sous  20 sous = 1 livre (# £) Livre tournois  Louis d’Or (1/2 livre)