1. Changes in Medieval Life
European Life after the Crusades

2. Exposure to Life Beyond the Manor

3. Commercial Revolution- Middle Age Globalization!
Manors were self-sufficient, bartering, closed communities
Crusades  people leaving the Manors & demand for goods from the east
$$$ Currency develops for use in long distance trade
Merchants who buys goods from the East and sell them locally gain profits
Some merchants become money changers (exchange currencies from different lands for trade purposes) and give loans to others who want to finance trade from the east.
Many moneylending merchants become the first bankers.

4. Guilds Craftspeople try to control and protect their trade
Set standards for quality & prices
Contribute to a fund to help others in their industry in need
Trained all newcomers in the field (Apprentice – young works for free – Journeyman, experienced, works for pay, Master – has created a “masterpiece” and been given permission to start own shop by the guild).
Masters or Burghers often began to run the towns in town councils (independent from crusading Lords)

5. Learning
Crusades brought contact with long forgotten ancient knowledge from Greece & Rome
Science, math and technologies of the Islamic Golden age became available to Europe
Development of European universities
Increase in literacy  increase in writing for entertainment  increase in use of vernacular writing (ex Dante’s Divine Comedy (Florentine Italian) / Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (Middle English)
Scholastics
Monks like Thomas Aquinas and other clergy that try to interpret the Greco-Roman scientists in such a way that they agree with the Bible (seen as ultimate source of truth)

6. Rise of a Middle Class
The Modern Middle Class
Medieval Middle Class

7. Rise of Centralized Government
Many Landowners Killed in the Crusades
Crusades led some to lose respect for the Church as a leader in the secular (non- religious) world.
Leaders, such as Richard “The Lionhearted” arose
New wealth of towns needed protection

8. Rise of Towns Crusades  many moving off the manor and also a desire for goods that have reintroduced from the east. Free peasants move to crossroads and rivers which are good for trade  towns develop
Pros
Many craftspeople able to trade for local and foreign goods in town
Independence from the lords
Possibility to raise your social class in a town
Cons
Unsanitary – sewage in streets
Overcrowded conditions  quick spread of disease
Lack of fresh clean water