How can you make the task of growing food easier? Imagine that you are a medieval farmer. You use an ard to plow your field but it is very difficult? How can you make the task of growing food easier?

•I can explain the technological and agricultural advances made during the Middle Ages. •I can analyze the growth of commerce, towns, and the merchant class. •I can trace the emergence of a modern economy and the growth of banking. 7.41 Trace the emergence of a modern economy, including the growth of banking, technological and agricultural improvements, commerce, towns, and a merchant class.

Essential Question How did increased trade change life in medieval Europe?

Invaders all Around After the fall of the Roman Empire, western Europe was being attacked by groups such as the Magyars, Muslims, and the Vikings. Kings were powerless against these invaders. As a result, the responsibility for protection fell to local lords. These lords promised to protect the people and their homes in their area . In return the people pledged their service and loyalty to this lord. This system of loyalty and protection became known as FEUDALISM.

King – provides money,. recruits army on demand, King – provides money, recruits army on demand, grants land to his lords. Lords and Vassels – protect the king and manage the territory. Knights – protect both the King and lords. Peasants and Serfs –work the land. F E U D A L I S M

Manorialism Most Europeans lived on self sufficient MANORS.

Technology Improves Agriculture: Two main innovations improved farming 1. The heavy wheeled plow with an iron blade In the picture to the left is an older ard. The picture above is a wheeled plow with an iron blade. Point out the differences in the plows in the two illustrations. The older style plow, called an ard, has a small blade which tears into the soil to break it up. The driver had to work hard to keep the plow’s blade in the soil. In the second illustration you see a wheeled plow with an iron blade, the weight of the blade keeps it in the soil and the wheels make it easier for the farmer/driver to create a straight row. The iron plow could more easily turn over the dense clay soil found in Western Europe.

Technology Improves Agriculture: Two main innovations improved farming The second innovation was a horse collar. A horse could pull as much weight as an oxen, but was cheaper. You could not put the same type of harness around a horse’s neck because it would choke. Horse collars meant more people could use animals to plow their fields. Horses could pull a plow much faster than oxen and so more land could be plowed in the same amount of time.

Wheeled plow with iron blade pulled by horses

Other Advances •By 1100 Europe was a much safer place due to feudalism. •Nobles made roads safer by repairing them and keeping them safe from bandits. • The population of Europe began to rise for the first time since the Fall of Rome. •When traveling became possible again. Trade resumed throughout Europe.

Manors to Towns Cloth and metal products were produced by peasants. Nobles sought luxury items from the east, such as sugar, spices, and silk. As trade increased, peasants began demanding money in return for the products they produced instead of only protection from the lord of the manor and bartered goods. These people became the new middle class. They had wealth of their own and began to set up their own governments in the cities. The people in these cities began to demand rights from the nobles. These rights included the right to buy and sell property.

Manors to Towns As trade increased in Europe, some manors grew into towns, and some towns grew into major trading cities. Several of theses cities were known for particular products. Bruges, a city in Belgium, became known for wool cloth. Merchants traveled from all over Europe to purchase this cloth. Venice, Pisa, and Genoa in Italy controlled the trade coming from the Byzantine Empire.

Medieval Trade Fairs Some towns would hold large trade fairs in order to attract many different vendors and products. These fairs would be set up primarily to buy and sell but there was entertainment as well. Often the fairs were arranged around religious holidays when people would already be in the towns.

Rise of Banking As merchants traveled to different towns in different countries. They found that different types of coins were used. A new type of merchant called a moneychanger sprang up. This merchant would take the coins from one country (England perhaps) and give out coins from the country (France, for instance) which the merchant was trading in. He would charge a modest fee (1% or so) for this service. This was the start of banking since the moneychangers charged for the exchange of currency. The title of the painting is The Money Changer and his Wife. It is in the Louvre and was painted in 1665.

Assignment Using pages 256-259 of your textbook, complete the “Emergence of Towns and Cities” notes organizer. This is page 33 of your CB. You will have 15 minutes to complete these notes.

Exit Ticket - Write 2 – 3 sentences to answer the following question How did increased trade change life in medieval Europe?