Medieval Europe (8-16Medieval Europe (8-16thth c.)c.)

Context:Context: Growing tax burden as Rome declinesGrowing tax burden as Rome declines No central authority resulting in anarchyNo central authority resulting in anarchy Large self-sufficient estatesLarge self-sufficient estates Decline of towns & interregional tradeDecline of towns & interregional trade Roaming barbarians & petty kingdomsRoaming barbarians & petty kingdoms

The Frankish KingdomThe Frankish Kingdom

Largest of manyLargest of many No regular system of taxationNo regular system of taxation Dependence on loyalty of noblesDependence on loyalty of nobles Invaders:Invaders:

Muslims take Spain (700s)Muslims take Spain (700s) Vikings dominate North Sea (800s)Vikings dominate North Sea (800s)

Security at premium => feudalismSecurity at premium => feudalism

Feudal societyFeudal society

System of military-political relationshipsSystem of military-political relationships Stirrup (central Asia) makes infantry almost Stirrup (central Asia) makes infantry almost

obsolete (except combined with fortifications)obsolete (except combined with fortifications) No source of public funds (centralized taxation)No source of public funds (centralized taxation) Security services in exchange for Church landsSecurity services in exchange for Church lands

Lords fight, clergy pray, peasants workLords fight, clergy pray, peasants work Power shift: Regular clergy => secular clergyPower shift: Regular clergy => secular clergy Serfs bound to the soil not the lordSerfs bound to the soil not the lord Servile duties & restrictions => wages & Servile duties & restrictions => wages &

exploitation exploitation

ManorialismManorialism Economic system underlying feudalismEconomic system underlying feudalism

Evolved from late Roman farming modelEvolved from late Roman farming model Open fields: scattered strips & common Open fields: scattered strips & common

laborlabor Lords demesneLords demesne

Labor (field, spinning & weaving, child-Labor (field, spinning & weaving, child-servants)servants)

Dues (50%+)Dues (50%+) Fees for use of capital (mill, oven, etc.)Fees for use of capital (mill, oven, etc.)

Tithe to the churchTithe to the church Royal taxation (sporadic)Royal taxation (sporadic)

ManorialismManorialism

Innovations:Innovations: Three-course crop rotationThree-course crop rotation Heavy wheeled plow (with iron tip)Heavy wheeled plow (with iron tip) Improved iron tools (hoes, pitchforks, & Improved iron tools (hoes, pitchforks, &

axes)axes) Manure & other soil improvementsManure & other soil improvements New crops: New crops:

rye, oatsrye, oats Grafting from Muslims: Grafting from Muslims:

Rice, cotton, sugar-cane, citrus fruit Rice, cotton, sugar-cane, citrus fruit

Medieval technological Medieval technological innovationinnovation

Incentives have changedIncentives have changed Higher productivity improves peasants’ Higher productivity improves peasants’

welfare unlike slaves (even with rapacious welfare unlike slaves (even with rapacious exploitation)exploitation)

Common work Common work individual or group innovation (?)individual or group innovation (?) Benefits sharedBenefits shared

Nascent urbanization increases Nascent urbanization increases specialization & trade & thus, innovationspecialization & trade & thus, innovation

Industries: cloth & to lesser extent buildingIndustries: cloth & to lesser extent building

Demographic Expansion & Demographic Expansion & migrationmigration

Communes in Northern Italy (Milan)Communes in Northern Italy (Milan) Slow to develop in the north except:Slow to develop in the north except:

Low Countries, Northern France, CataloniaLow Countries, Northern France, Catalonia Rudimentary economic planning:Rudimentary economic planning:

Locators; real-estate developersLocators; real-estate developers Recruit colonists according to regional Recruit colonists according to regional

similaritiessimilarities Incentives:Incentives:

Lower & deferred rent burdenLower & deferred rent burden Greater independenceGreater independence

Increased resource flow into EuropeIncreased resource flow into Europe

Commercial RevolutionCommercial Revolution

Reduces northern dependency on Italian Reduces northern dependency on Italian trade with Muslimstrade with Muslims

Hansa: Hansa: Northern cities form trade blockNorthern cities form trade block ““German Foundations”German Foundations” German cities in foreign lands (Riga, Danzig)German cities in foreign lands (Riga, Danzig)

Trade Fairs (Champaign, Geneva)Trade Fairs (Champaign, Geneva) Alpine passes (before S-N sea route develops)Alpine passes (before S-N sea route develops) Banking & credit (important with coinage Banking & credit (important with coinage

chaos)chaos) Partnerships, & Partnerships, & vera societàvera società

Clocks, the Mind, and the Clocks, the Mind, and the UniverseUniverse

Medieval “high-tech:”Medieval “high-tech:” Wind- & Watermills use complicated gearingWind- & Watermills use complicated gearing Practical mechanics by empirical knowledgePractical mechanics by empirical knowledge 1414thth c. Cities have elaborate mechanical clocks c. Cities have elaborate mechanical clocks

Giovanni de’DondiGiovanni de’Dondi Clock tracks sun, moon, & 5 known planetsClock tracks sun, moon, & 5 known planets 200 before the Copernican revolution200 before the Copernican revolution

Clocks transforms our awareness of timeClocks transforms our awareness of time Social institutions regulated by timeSocial institutions regulated by time Nicole Oresme: “the supreme clockmaker”Nicole Oresme: “the supreme clockmaker” Roger Bacon (13Roger Bacon (13thth c. Oxford): c. Oxford):

“… carts without animals … machines for flying “… carts without animals … machines for flying …”…”

Crisis (late 14-15Crisis (late 14-15th th c.)c.)

Crop failures:Crop failures: ““Little” ice-ageLittle” ice-age Lack of new landLack of new land

less livestock => less protein => less manureless livestock => less protein => less manure Deforestation => soil degradationDeforestation => soil degradation

1348: Bubonic plague (Black Death)1348: Bubonic plague (Black Death) 1/3 population reduction (+ city-sanitation)1/3 population reduction (+ city-sanitation) Becomes endemic (10-15 year cycles)Becomes endemic (10-15 year cycles)

Wars:Wars: Hundred Years War (1338-1453)Hundred Years War (1338-1453) Ottomans conquer Byzantine EmpireOttomans conquer Byzantine Empire

Crisis (late 14-15Crisis (late 14-15th th c.)c.) Previous population & urbanization => DPrevious population & urbanization => D

=> prices=> prices => wages => wages (real even more) (real even more) Lords attempt to tighten manorialismLords attempt to tighten manorialism

Western Europe:Western Europe: Limited successLimited success Plague => urban populationPlague => urban population => P => P => wages => wages Wage controls => massive revoltsWage controls => massive revolts Cost & riskCost & risk => =>

Strong guilds, holding companies (Medici), labor-Strong guilds, holding companies (Medici), labor-saving tech.saving tech.

Eastern Europe:Eastern Europe: Completely successful in a sparsely populated east)Completely successful in a sparsely populated east) Plague => elimination of cities & markets => Plague => elimination of cities & markets =>

subsistencesubsistence Desperation => Strong feudalism until the late 19Desperation => Strong feudalism until the late 19thth c. c.

Europe’s Second Logistic (16 c.)Europe’s Second Logistic (16 c.) Trade, conquest, and settlementTrade, conquest, and settlement

Rise in supply of actual & potential resourcesRise in supply of actual & potential resources Rise in government's role in the economyRise in government's role in the economy

Spain & PortugalSpain & Portugal Price Revolution: MsPrice Revolution: Ms => P => P (x3-4) (x3-4) Real wages decline severelyReal wages decline severely

North SeaNorth Sea Low Countries (Dutch Republic separates from Low Countries (Dutch Republic separates from

Spain)Spain) England (adding value to cloth/wool—England (adding value to cloth/wool—enclosureenclosure)) France (dynastic & religious wars)France (dynastic & religious wars)

Decline of the great nobility Decline of the great nobility Increasing financial dependence on gentry Increasing financial dependence on gentry

(manufacturing & commerce)(manufacturing & commerce)