1. Economic expansion and Change
Ch. 8 sec 3
Economic expansion and Change

2. Population increase Population doubled from 38 to 74 million
European invasions stopped.
Change in climate and increase in food production.
Swamps were drained and turned into fields for crops.

3. New agricultural advances
Wind and water used. How?
Iron was being used to make stronger tools
Carruca – a heavy wheeled plow with an iron plowshare.

4. New agricultural advances
Harness for horses distributes weight around the shoulders and chest. How did this help agriculture?
Horseshoes nailed to the hooves made it easier to pull the plow through rocky soil.

5. Three Field System
Old way: One field was planted while one was left fallow.
New way: Two fields used and one left fallow.
How is this more efficient than the 2f system?
winter wheat or rye
spring oats, beans, or barley
fallow

6. Formation of Towns
Trade fairs where merchants gather became the basis for towns. Why?
Towns formed along trade routes.
Merchants would settle for the winter. Eventually the artisans would come to sell their wares and people would stay there.
Towns were usually located by lords for protection. Issued a charter

7. Characteristics of towns
Stone wall around the town
Houses crowded together – roofs that covered the streets
Guild Hall, Cathedral
Narrow streets
Dirty and smelly
Water polluted by blood from
tanners and butchers.
Loud

8. Guilds – Merchant Organizations
Unions of their day.
Set standards, set prices, specified methods of production.
Ran towns that they created. Gov’t
Merchants and increased trading slowly ended the barter system. Replaced by silver and gold.

9. Master craftsman
Apprentice – 7-10 years of age. They get room and board. Not paid 5 to 7 years of service.
Journeyman – worked for low wages. Worked on a masterpiece to be judged by a master craftsman.
Very hard to become
a master Craftsman.
Why?

10. New Business Practices
Capital – money used for investment. Undermined serfdom. Why?
Partnership – When merchants joined together to use their money to finance a larger business.
Bill of Exchange_ A merchant would deposit money in a local bank and be issued a paper (Bill of Exchange) stating the $ amount he deposited. He then exchanged it for cash at another bank.
Why used?
Merchants, artisans, traders fall between nobles and peasants