COMMERCIAL
REVOLUTION
Between 1000 and 1300
 Agriculture
 Trade
 Finance
 Towns and cities grew
 Population growth
 Territorial expansion
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Growing food supply
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Need better ways of farming
Switch to horsepower
 Oxen were easy to keep
 Horses could provide better
production
Three-Field System
 Organize lands
 Two were planted, one lay fallow
(2/3 vs 1/2)
 Villagers had more to eat
 Population grew, life expectancy
increased
The guilds
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Organization of individuals in the same business or occupation working
to improve the economic and social conditions of its members
Merchants
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Craft Guilds
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Control the number of goods being traded
Provided security
Skilled artisans
Quality of work
Wages
Working conditions
Established wealth and position in society
Craft Guilds
- Wheelwrights
- Glassmakers
- Winemakers
- Tailors
- Druggists
Apprentice
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Parents paid for training
Lived with a master and his
family
Required to obey the master
Trained 2-7 years
Was not allowed to marry
during training
When trained progressed to
journeyman
journeymen
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Day worker
Worked for a master to
earn a salary
Worked 6 days a week
Needed to produce a
masterpiece (his finest
work) to become a master
Had to be accepted by
the guild to become a
master
master

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Owned his own shop
Worked with other
masters to protect
their trade
Sometimes served in
civic governments
Guild services
To Members:
To the Community
Set working conditions
Built almshouses for victims of misfortune
Covered members with a type of health
insurance
Guaranteed quality work
Provided funeral expenses
Took turns policing the streets
Provided dowries for poor girls
Donated windows to the Church
Fairs and trade

Most trade took place in the towns

Fairs held during religious festivals
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Cloth was the most common trade item

Self-sufficient manor system no longer
needed

Goods from foreign lands

Trade routes from England to Italy

Merchants willing to take risks

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Buying merchandise that they could sell
at a profit
Reinvested the profits in more good
Business and banking

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Needed cash and credit to exchange different types of
currencies
Established exchange rates
Letters of credit
Eliminated the need to carry large amounts of cash
 Made trade easier

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Trading firms started to form
Had to borrow money
Increased Trade
More Workers
Needed
Serfs move to town;
workers paid for
labor
More cash, banking,
and lending
services available
More money
available for
building businesses
Merchants’ wealth
and power expand
Merchants’ taxes
increase the king’s
power and wealth
Urban life
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Population grew from 30 million to 42
million within 150 years
As trade grew – cities and towns grew
Streets narrow and dirty
No sewers
Little bathing and no clean or fresh
water
Many people wanted better
opportunities
Revival of learning
New interest in learning
 Europeans able to acquire new
knowledge
 New European institution – The
University
 Vernacular
 Brought literature to many
people

Medieval Fashion
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Integral to status
Wool clothing
Linen undergarments
Signs of wealth

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Brighter colors, better materials, longer jacket length
Peasants
Stockings or tunics
 Wimples for hair
 Outer clothing rarely washed
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Fur was used often
Homework!!!!
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Read pg. 244-247 in the textbook
 Create
a flow chart or graphic organization
about the new government systems

Read p. 260 in the textbook
 take

notes
Due: Tomorrow!