Economic Expansion and Change Chapter 8 Section 4 Economic Expansion and Change
The High Middle Ages 1000-1300 is the period known “The High Middle Ages” Result of new farming technologies
Agricultural Revolution New Technologies The Iron Plow (800) New harnesses allow for horses to be used to plow The Windmill
Agricultural Revolution Expanding Production Lords want more production Clear Forest Drain Swamps Reclaim waste land for grazing
3 Field System A system of farming which uses 3 different fields during each year Field 1 would have grain planted in it Field 2 would have peas and beans Field 3 would not have anything planted in it Done to let the legumes back into the ground in field 3
Why food is important to the population Increase in food = increase in population From 1000-1300 the population in Europe more then doubled
Revival of population More people create a larger need for goods Iron, Wool, Spices, silk and furs Traders formed merchant companies and traveled in armed caravans for protection
Trade fairs Normally near navigable rivers People flocked from all over to trade goods Also served as a form of luxuries
New Towns Small centers of trade evolved into small centers to trade Ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 people Italy and Flanders had the most prosperous textile industries Charters: written document that set out the rights and privileges of the town. Merchants paid the lord or king a lot of $ for a charter
Commercial Revolution More people = More $ Merchants need : money for investments Started a need for banking houses Groups of merchants started pooling their money for large scale Banks started so people could protect their investments
Social Changes Use of money undermined serfdom Pay in money not in farm animals The middle class arises
The Role of Guilds A guild is an association Merchant guilds ruled life in Europe around the 1300’s Passed laws, levied taxes, and decided where funds went In time artisans came to resent merchant guilds
Guild’s Each guild looked out for its own trades Such as merchants or skilled crafts workers Guilds made rules to ensure the quality of their goods What does the guild remind you of today
Becoming a member of a guild Had to work years as an apprentice: trainee Almost never became a guild master or had your won shop
Woman and Guilds Often engaged in the same guilds as her father or husband Woman dominated some trades
City life Protected by city walls Narrow streets and tall houses No garbage collections or sewer systems