1. Urban Revival

2. Social reality in 13th century Europe
Most peasants agricultural, illiterate, in poor health
Nobles had vastly better lifestyle based on labors of peasant families
Very marked SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
Women subordinate to men of all classes
Increase in average temperatures meant rise of food supply OR
Increase in economy due to re-integration into world system

3. What will be the consequences of the increase in food supply in the 14th century?

5. Malthusian Population Theory
Food supply results in increase in population
Population will outstrip resources (“scarcity”)
Then population outstrips resources, population will be checked/limited by:
War
Disease
Famine

6. Technology saves the day?
Three-Field System
Crop rotation
Use of oats to fix nitrogen in soil

7. Migration saves the day?
New lands opened up for farming by the Teutonic Knights or others
Environmental impact of draining swamps, clearing of forests

8. Population kept increasing, Standard of living fell
As population outstripped even improved resources, many Europeans living on edge of starvation
Immune systems compromised

9. Microparasites save the day?
The BLACK DEATH hit, killing 30% of population
Impacted Europe in many ways
Loss of belief in church (or increase in belief)
Hedonism
Loss of labor force meant lower supply of labor (able to demand higher wages, end to serfdom)
Standard of living actually rose, e.g. more meat to go around
BLACK DEATH KEPT COMING BACK THROUGH 18th CENTURY (!)

10. New technologies and the economy
Pre-industrialization
Diffusion of middle-eastern and Chinese technologies into Europe, widespread adoption
Windmills
Waterwheels
Improved iron metallurgy

11. New industrialization brought pollution
Reduction of forests meant reducing “carbon sink”
Mining meant heavy metals leakage, polluting waters
Many of greatest forests depleted during Middle Ages – old growth trees felled

12. Urban Revival
Wealthy centers on Atlantic, Baltic, and Mediterranean

15. Causation for Urban Revival
The Crusades: Re-connected Europe to Eurasian trade
Assault on Christian city of Constantinople broke Byzantine power over trade through Dardanelles

16. Causation (cont)
Increased trade under PAX MONGOLICA

17. Italian city-states benefited most
Venice on east coast of Italy
Genoa on west coast
Venetian trade empire in Mediterranean

18. Venetian Maritime trade fortress on Crete

19. What features of Venice predisposed the city to maritime trade?

22. Northern European Hanseatic League
Baltic sea trade to Atlantic
Had trade warehouses throughout Europe

23. New manufacturing in Flanders
Wool from England into tapestries

24. Trade fairs in Champagne
King of France guaranteed safety for merchants
Goods traded from all over

25. Generally, Europe revived and urbanized
Re-connection to trade made urban centers possible
End of serfdom allowed migration to cities
Lack of monarchical authority allowed rise of independent, merchant-run city states