Trade and Revival Across Europe
EUROPE The Medieval Period = 500 CE – 1450 CE
Medieval Europe Disunified Focus on religion Large majority rural Feudal Economic (manors) and Social (vassal-lord) Systems
Sparks for Change Black death fewer workers, higher wages, breakdown of Feudal system, need for innovation Printing Press cheap books, spread of literacy, undermines church/priest authority Fall of Constantinople/Mongol Empires need for alternate routes to luxury goods
Important Changes Increase in urban centers (trading cities like Venice & Hanseatic League cities along the Baltic) Universities Technological innovations (water wheels, three-field system)
Hanseatic League Cities
Brugge, Modern Belgium, connects to the Baltic Venice, Italy connects to the Mediterranean
Trade Diasporas As trade revived in Europe and intensified elsewhere, diasporic communities formed Diaspora = “to scatter” Most famous example: the Jewish Diaspora –After a failed rebellion in about 100 CE, Jews were required to “scatter” from Jerusalem –This migration formed huge networks of families and communities across the globe –The natural result were networks of trade