The Revival of Trade

and Commerce;
Growth of Towns and
Guilds
Presented by:
Aivan John Fuentes
Mary Val Regalado
Richard Relojas
Rica Mae Tupaz
Abeth Kaye Bonifacio
Jean Charisse U. Bautista

Why did trade declined during

the Middle Ages
Road in disrepair
Shortage of money
Pirates and robbers threatened trade
routes

What was the main center of

commerce in the Middle Ages?
What caused the revival of trade in
the middle ages?

The manor - they

Trade routes
were self sufficient
reopened by the
and only traded if
way of Western
there was something
Europe and the East
they could not make.

How did the church respond

to the revival of trade?
They placed some restraint on business:
Church advocated "just price" for goods
sold - profit only okay if price was fair.
Prohibited usury - the practice of
charging interest for money lent.

What continued to happen

despite the Churches
restraints on trade?
Trade continued to grow and prosperity
came to Europe's population. More and
more gained financial independence
thru hard work and personal
responsibility.

Growth of Towns and Guilds

 The people almost depended on farming for

their livelihood.
Towns became necessary for manufacturing and
commerce.
Towns usually surrounded by high walls, gates
were guarded by soldiers.
Geography helped the towns grow.
The medieval fairs usually held during church
festivals or holidays.
fair comes from Latin word feria, means
festival.
It is sponsored by the lords who owned town.

Lords
Lords still controlled the towns.
They expected something in return.
Most towns won self-government by peaceful
and sometimes violent means.
Some lords granted charters to towns.
Freedom -- Lived in a town for 1 year and a
day. Included serfs that escaped from manors.
Exemption -- Free from ever working on the
manor.
Town Justice -- Towns had their own courts
Commercial Privileges -- Could sell goods
freely in the town.

 Clergy upper class

Nobility
Peasants and Serfs lower class
Between upper class and lower class called the
middle class.
who dominated our modern
world.
Merchant class who succeeded in winning
freedom of towns.
they were demand selfgovernment.
Charter a written document that set out the
rights and privileges of a town. Containing their
right to self-government.

What were the three classes of

members within the craft guild?
Apprentice- free work for food, lodging
and training
Journeyman- day laborer who had
completed apprenticeship - paid by the
hour
Master- journeyman who took oral
examination and completed a master
piece.

Training of Skilled Workers

APPRENTICE

A novice, one who is learning a trade or craft.

Training could take 5 to 9 years.
Parents paid the master to teach the boy.
During the period he is learning the crafts, he
lived in the house of the master craftsman.
Although he did not receive payment for his
work, the master craftsman provided him with
food and clothing.

JOURNEYMAN

Completed his apprenticeship.

A skilled worker that was paid a wage.
When he reaches 23, he could ask to
become a member of the guild.
A journeyman could only become a master
by making a masterpiece.
Had to be approved by the other masters
If approved he could open up his own shop.

Changes in Medieval
Society

A Growing Food Supply

Development of Guilds
The Commercial Revolution
Urban Life Flourishes (Growth of
Towns & Cities)
Revival of Learning

Changes in Medieval
Society
Growing Food Supply
Climate grew warmer between 800-1000
Development of a new harness for
horses improved plowing techniques
New system of crop rotation

Changes in Medieval
Society

Improvements in Farming

Two Field System

600 Acres
Planted

Fallow

300 Acres

300 Acres

Changes in Medieval
Society

Improvements in Farming

Three Field System

600 Acres
Wheat orBarley, Peas, Fallow
Rye Oats, Beans
200 Acres 200 Acres 200 Acres

Changes in Medieval
Society
Medieval Guilds
Merchant Guilds - Formed by merchants in a town.
Members had monopoly rights
Set standards of quality for members
Provided welfare and charity for members families
Craft Guilds-Associations of a particular trade or craft
Set prices for goods and services
Regulated wages, hours, and labor conditions
Established an apprentice system for training masters

Changes in Medieval
Society
Local Fairs - Small community fairs where local
merchants exchanged goods
Great Fairs - Large trade fairs held four times a year
in which traveling merchants sold goods from
throughout the world. They created a large demand
for eastern goods and led to widespread trade.

Changes in Medieval
Society
The Commercial Revolution
Commercial Revolution The expansion of
trade and changes in banking practices
Capitalism - Economic system in which
individuals invest wealth in order to produce
profits.
Usury - Loaning of money for interest.
Forbidden by church. Jews began lending
money. Banks were formed which allowed
long distance trade.

Changes in Medieval
Society

Changes in Medieval
Society
Urban
Life Flourishes
The Growth of Towns and Cities
Peasants (Serfs) often fled to towns from
manors. After living in a town for a year and a
day, they became free
Burgh - A walled Town
Burgher - A person who lived in a town
Bourgeoisie - Town dwellers in France. Later
evolved into the Middle Class

Characteristics of Medieval To
1.Usually located on top of a
hill or
on a riverbed
and surrounded by a wall
2. Population generally 500010,000
3. Usually had a cathedral,
town hall, and guild halls.
Streets were dark and dirty.
Plagues often swept through

Medieval cities were very different than the

cities of today.
There was
They were
usually a church
surrounded
with a steeple
by high walls
and had very
that could be
narrow streets.
seen from far
away.

They were
terribly
overcrowded
and had no
sanitation.

Revival of Towns and

Trade
30 Million

42 Million
1150 AD

1000 AD

As towns grew, associations for

learning and teaching were
established and became known as
Universities: The major universities
were founded in the 12th Century.

University of Oxford
Liberal Arts
University of Paris
Liberal Arts

University of Bologna
Roman and church law
University of Salerno
Medicine

At the same time, towns and cities grew.

A merchant who set up a town got a
charter.

The use of money changed

society.
As people sought capital, banking
grew.
Merchants formed partnerships
and developed insurance. Serfs
became tenant farmers, who paid
rent.

Merchants, traders,
and artisans
formed a new
middle class.
They operated
in guilds, using
emblems such as
these to advertise.

Guild members cooperated with each other

and prevented nonmembers from operating
in the trade.

They mainly guarded the merchant's interests by

giving them a monopoly of a town's trade.
Fixed prices.
Protected against outside competition.

To become part of a guild, a child would first

be an apprentice, or trainee.

Most people worked for guild members as

journeymen.

What were the towns like?

Crowded houses 4 to 5 stories tall.
Dirty with garbage thrown in the streetssmell from miles away.
Poor sanitation - disease spread
quickly.
Exciting places to live.
Town square- center of activity.

Thank
You!