Chapter 8 Section 4

Economic Expansion and Change

The High Middle Ages

1000-1300 is the period known “The High Middle Ages”

Result of new farming technologies

Agricultural Revolution New Technologies

The Iron Plow (800) New harnesses allow for horses to be used

to plow The Windmill

Agricultural Revolution Expanding Production

Lords want more production Clear Forest Drain Swamps Reclaim waste land for grazing

3 Field System

A system of farming which uses 3 different fields during each year

Field 1 would have grain planted in it Field 2 would have peas and beans Field 3 would not have anything planted in it Done to let the legumes back into the ground

in field 3

Why food is important to the population

Increase in food = increase in population From 1000-1300 the population in Europe

more then doubled

Revival of population

More people create a larger need for goods Iron, Wool, Spices, silk and furs Traders formed merchant companies and

traveled in armed caravans for protection

Trade fairs

Normally near navigable rivers People flocked from all over to trade goods Also served as a form of luxuries

New Towns

Small centers of trade evolved into small centers to trade

Ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 people Italy and Flanders had the most prosperous textile

industries Charters: written document that set out the rights

and privileges of the town. Merchants paid the lord or king a lot of $ for a

charter

Commercial Revolution

More people = More $ Merchants need : money for investments Started a need for banking houses Groups of merchants started pooling their

money for large scale Banks started so people could protect their

investments

Social Changes

Use of money undermined serfdom Pay in money not in farm animals The middle class arises

The Role of Guilds

A guild is an association Merchant guilds ruled life in Europe around

the 1300’s Passed laws, levied taxes, and decided

where funds went In time artisans came to resent merchant

guilds

Guild’s

Each guild looked out for its own trades– Such as merchants or skilled crafts workers

– Guilds made rules to ensure the quality of their goods

– What does the guild remind you of today

Becoming a member of a guild

Had to work years as an apprentice: trainee Almost never became a guild master or had

your won shop

Woman and Guilds

Often engaged in the same guilds as her father or husband

Woman dominated some trades

City life

Protected by city walls Narrow streets and tall houses No garbage collections or sewer systems