Economic Recovery Sparks Change

The Growth of Towns & Cities

• New trade routes led to the growth of towns and cities

• As trade fairs closed in autumn due to weather (roads became impassable in the winter), merchants would wait out a winter in a city near a castle.• With this happening more frequently city

populations grew.• In some cases new towns were created just

outside a castle or manor• With new cities popping up, merchants sought

__________________: written document of the rights and privileges to a town from a local lord or even the king.• In return merchants paid a hefty price or even

an annual fee.• Due to overpopulation lords even allowed

serfs ________________________________ ____________________________________.

The Revival of Trade & Travel

• By 1100 feudal warfare and invasion decreased:• People felt ________________ and

thus began traveling more.• Growing need for goods:• _________________ for farm tools• Wealthy nobles wanted precious

items that could not be produced at manors

• Expanding Trade Routes:• Merchant groups form for traveling in

safety• Traded local goods for items from the

Middle East and even Asia• ________________: major trading hub• Connection between Europe and

Asia by land and sea• ____________________________ created

to protect trading interests• Built lighthouses and trained ship pilots

An Agricultural Revolution

• Technological improvements in farming:• __________________________________________________• __________________________________________________

• Production & Population Growth• Lords had forests cleared and wastelands reclaimed• 3-field system for crop rotation• 3rd of land unplanted rather than ½

• Increase in food production meant an increase in food available• __________________________________________________• __________________________________________________

A Commercial Revolution

• Capital, or money for investment, became a necessity with the increase of trade.• ____________________________ began to open• Merchants began to _________________________

• Groups of merchants began to join together:• Pooling funds

• Expensive ventures were possible and less risky• __________________ for shipments became available• Adopted Muslim trading practices

• ____________ and __________________________• To avoid carrying large sums of gold coins

• Society began to change:• The need for money saw the end of serfdom:

• Serfs began to sell goods in towns- earning money and paying their lords in money rather than labor. Many thus became tenant farmers who paid rent for their land

• The Church outlawed __________________________ for Christians, so ___________ picked up the positions.• The Jews holding these positions led to anti-Jewish

prejudice.

Town & City Life

• Usually were surrounded by walls:• __________________________• Could only build ______ as population grew (not out)• 2-3 story buildings were common• Streets were narrow and crowded

• Fire was common, due to close quarters• Similar guilds and backgrounds lived in same areas

• Major sanitation issues• ________________• ________________• Waste was flung out windows into the streets

• ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________

Guilds

• Formed to gain _______________ and ________________ power• Merchants first others followed

(artisans)• _______________________________

_______________________________• Regulate prices, hours of labor, etc.• Becoming a guild member took years of

training

The Rise of the Middle Class

• With the rise of towns, the social order of feudalism disappeared• Nobles to peasants were seemingly equal in many cases regarding

status. • This new group became known as the _____________________

• Nobles saw towns as __________________• The Clergy saw the usury and moneylending as ____________________

Levels of Members__________________- trainee under a master craftsman (usually for seven years) started as a young child.__________________- salaried workers (what most guild members were)__________________ – Shop owners, experts in their trade. (voted position)