DO NOW: Fill out the second row of your Middle Ages Daily Life Scales Trade and Homes Questions HOMEWORK
Trade and Commerce
As towns grew, so did trade and commerce Trade used to be very rare and most material were handmade, but now many people were buying and selling food, clothing, household items, woolen cloth, glass, and silk
Trade and Commerce Most towns had a market where commerce would occur With the growth of trade, merchant guilds became quite powerful and members would often sit on town councils
Trade and Commerce In Christian Europe, there was persecution against the Jews Christian laws made it difficult for Jews to succeed in the growing towns They were not allowed to own land, were attacked, and had property taken away from them
Trade and Commerce One opportunity for Jews to be successful was to go into banking and becoming moneylenders Christians saw these professions as forbidden because the Church taught that charging money for loans was sinful
Homes and Households
Towns were small and crowded with houses being thin and wooden as well as having a tendency to lean In poor neighborhoods, several families might share a one room house and even work from their homes
Homes and Households Wealthy merchants had nice homes where the business would be on the first level, the living space on the second, and a third level for apprentices and servants Wealthy homes also had a solar, a dining room like space where families would gather to eat and talk
Homes and Households Most homes however were uncomfortable because rooms were cold, smoky, and dim. Fireplaces were the only source of heat and light Half of all children died before becoming adults. Some children went to school and others began preparing for work as early as age 7
Homes and Households Most boys would grow up to do the same work as their fathers Some girls trained for a craft, but most married young and as early as 12 Many girls received their education at home and learned cooking, cloth making and skills needed to run a home