MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE
2/10/2016
UNIT 1: EUROPE DURING MEDIEVAL TIMES
Chapter 4:
Life in Medieval Towns
PREVIEW ASSIGNMENT: A Medieval Marketplace
(P. 21 GREY W/B AND P.42 OF TEXT)
1.This is a marketplace in a 13th-century European
town. Carefully analyze the image to try to figure out
what it might have been like to live in a town in
medieval Europe.
 What interesting or important details do you
see?
2.This image has clues about the living conditions in
medieval European towns.
 What hypotheses can you make about living
conditions, based on those clues?
3.This image has clues about job opportunities
available to people in med. European towns.
 What hypotheses can you make about job
opportunities, based on those clues?
4.This image has clues about entertainment in
medieval European towns.
 What hypotheses can you make about
entertainment, based on those clues?
5.Now record your ideas. Complete Preview 4 in your
Grey Student w/b p. 21. You will now explore what
life was like in a medieval European town.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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PREREADING CH4 - the graphic organizer
1. Examine the illustration on page 43.
o Where might a town like this have been located?
o What objects do you see that people living in the town
might have used?
o What might they have been used for?
2. Explain that this shows a street in a medieval European town.
You will use this graphic organizer as you learn about various
aspects of daily life in medieval European towns.
Reading notes for Understanding chapter 4
4.1 INTRODUCTION p. 43
 This chapter is about DAILY LIFE during later
Middle Ages 1000 to 1450C.E.
 In ch2 you learned about the feudal
manors/castles
 By the 12 century towns began to grow
 Most towns, like castles were surrounded by
walls
 Most signs were colorful pictures for shops +
businesses
 Most streets were very narrow, with very little
light, +very dirty (no garbage collection), filled
w/unpleasant smells
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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4.2 THE GROWTH OF MEDIEVAL TOWNS p. 44
 In ancient times, town life was well
established particularly in Greece + Rome as
busy trading centers bet east & west
 After fall of Rome people lived in scattered
communities in the countryside
 By high Middle Ages towns were growing again
o Improvement in agriculture; Farmers were
clearing forests; Adopting better farming
methods; creating surplus of crops to sell in
town markets
 Revival of trade in seaport towns – Venice,
Genoa re-established ties with the east
 Best way to travel was by river – many towns
established by rivers making trade easier
 Merchants became permanent residents
 Craft or trades people also settled in towns
 Towns became wealthier with specialization
 1st towns generally part of DOMAIN - feudal lord
 Growth led to independence – self-government
 A royal CHARTER led to free towns - mayor
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES CH 4
Read Section 4.2 on p.44 and answer the questions
below. Then, before each group’s performance in
class, read that section in your book and complete
the corresponding notes.
4.2 The Growth of Medieval Towns
1. Where were towns in medieval Europe often
located, and why?
o Towns were often located next to
rivers, which made trade easier.
3.
What contributed to the growth of towns in
medieval Europe?
4.
o Improved farming methods and the
revival of trade with the east
contributed to the growth of towns.
3. What rights did a charter give townspeople?
o A charter allowed the members of a
medieval town to govern themselves.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES CH 4 PP. 45-51
Sec 4.3 Guilds p. 45
1. What were guilds? Why were they established?
o Guilds were associations of people who
practiced the same craft or trade.
o They were set up to make sure their members
were treated fairly and produced quality goods.
2. How did a person become a member of a guild?
o Around age 12, a person who wanted to learn a
trade became an apprentice.
o He lived and worked in the home of a guild
master.
o After 7 years, the guild examined a sample of
his work.
o If it met their standards, he was allowed to join
the guild.
3. What are some examples of craft guilds in medieval Europe?
o Some craft guilds were those for cobblers (who
made shoes), the stonemasons (who built
cathedrals), and cloth makers.
4. How did guilds help members and families of members?
o Guilds provided them with money and food in
times of need.
5. Choose an object from the illustration on the opposite page
that represents this topic. Sketch it below.
o Students should sketch the shoes.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES CH 4 PP. 45-51
Sec 4.4 Trade and Commerce p .46
1. What role did merchants play in the growth of medieval
European towns?
o By selling food and goods, merchants attracted
more people to medieval towns.
2. What were merchant fairs like?
o Merchant fairs were large and sold goods from
all over Europe and the east.
o They attracted merchants from many
countries.
3. How did merchants become the most wealthy and powerful
members of towns?
o Merchants became wealthy and powerful by
selling a variety of goods from faraway lands,
dominating the town’s business life, and
joining town councils.
4. How were Jews often mistreated in medieval Europe?
o Because of hostility, Jews found it hard to earn
a living by farming, and sometimes they were
the victims of violence. Rulers took their
property at will.
5. Choose an object from the illustration on the opposite page that
represents this topic. Sketch it below.
o Students should sketch the balance scale.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES CH 4 PP. 45-51
Sec 4.5 Homes and Households p. 47
1. What did homes in medieval European towns look like?
o Most homes in medieval towns were small,
crowded, and built of wood. The homes of the
wealthy were much larger.
2. Why were the homes of most town dwellers uncomfortable?
o Rooms were cold, smoky, and dim because
fireplaces were the only source of heat and the
main source of light.
3. Why was growing up in medieval towns difficult?
o Almost half of all children died. Those who
survived began preparing for their adult roles
at age seven.
4. How were the lives of medieval girls different from those of
modern girls?
o Most girls were educated at home in cooking,
cloth making, and others skills for running a
home.
o They typically married young and began raising
children soon after.
o Only girls from wealthy families had an
opportunity to learn how to paint or read
music.
5. Choose an object from the illustration on page 22 that
represents this topic. Sketch it below.
o Students should sketch the lute.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES CH 4 PP. 45-51
Sec 4.6 Disease and Medical Treatment p. 48
1. How did unhealthy living conditions and limited medical
knowledge affect life in medieval European towns?
 Unhealthy living conditions and the lack of
understanding of how diseases spread caused
many illnesses and deaths.
2. What were some common diseases in medieval Europe?
 Some common diseases in medieval Europe
were measles, cholera, scarlet fever, and
bubonic plague.
3. What were some common practices used by medieval
doctors?
 Medieval doctors used prayer, magic, and herbal
medicines.
 Bloodletting, including the use of leeches, was
also popular.
4. What group was sometimes blamed when an outbreak of a
disease occurred?
 Jews were sometimes blamed for outbreaks of
diseases.
5. Choose an object from the illustration on page 22 that
represents this topic. Sketch it below.
 Students should sketch the flask with leeches.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES CH 4 PP. 45-51
Sec 4.7 Crime and Punishment p. 49
1. Why were towns in medieval Europe dangerous places?
 Towns were poorly lit, and streets were filled
with pickpockets and thieves.
2. What were two methods for deciding the guilt or innocence of
accused criminals in the Early Middle Ages?
 Two methods were:
o trial by ordeal, in which the accused had to
pass a dangerous test,
o and trial by combat, in which he had to fight
to prove his innocence.
3. What were some ways criminals were punished in medieval
Europe?
 Fines and the stocks were used to punish those
found guilty of minor crimes. Those convicted of
more serious crimes were hanged or burned at
the stake.
4. How did the way in which those accused of crimes were
treated begin to improve in the 12th century?
 Beginning in the 12th century, court inquiries
were used to determine a person’s innocence or
guilt.
5. Choose an object from the illustration on page 22 that
represents this topic. Sketch it below.
 Students should sketch the noose.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES CH 4 PP. 45-51
Sec 4.8 Leisure and Entertainment p. 50
1. What were some games that were popular with children in
medieval Europe?
 Children played with dolls and toys, such as
wooden swords and hobbyhorses.
 They also rolled hoops and played badminton,
lawn bowling, and blind man’s bluff.
2. What were some leisure activities enjoyed by adults in
medieval Europe?
 Adults liked chess, checkers, and backgammon.
Card games, dice games, and dancing were also
popular.
3. What was the difference between mystery plays and miracle
plays?
 Mystery plays re-created stories from the Bible.
Miracle plays dramatized the lives of saints.
4. How did the church’s attitude toward mystery and miracle
plays differ from that of most townspeople?
 The church disapproved of them, but most
townspeople still enjoyed them.
5. Choose an object from the illustration on page 22 that
represents this topic. Sketch it below.
 Students should sketch the stage.
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