AP WORLD HISTORY POD #14 – Age of Transition

Commercial Revolution

Class Discussion Questions

McKay – “Towns and Economic Revival”, pp. 346-356

What was the essential pre-step in the rise and development of towns?

• “Without increased agricultural output there would not have been an adequate food supply for new town dwellers. Without a rise in population there would have been no one to people the towns. Without a minimum of peace and political stability merchants could not have transported or sold goods.”

• Home to a new social class of artisans and merchants – the middle class (bourgeoisie)

• This new class came from the peasantry as a land shortage drove younger sons into new lines of work

What theories have been proposed to explain the rise of medieval towns?

• Towns were areas of defense from Viking invaders

• Long distance merchants needed forts for protection

• Cathedrals and monasteries created a population center as merchants and students relocated to these areas

Describe the town and its environment.

• Walls for protection• A marketplace – nearly every street• Had a mint for coining money• Had a court to settle disputes• Space was limited – upward expansion• Housing lacked light and fresh air• Housing of wood and straw were fire

hazards

Who are the bourgeoisie?

• This is the new rising middle class

• Composed of the merchant and artisan class

• Gained a new wealth not attached to land and property holdings (nuvo riche)

• Cities served as a place of opportunity – economic advancement, upward social mobility, improved legal status

What liberties were present in the town?

• The clergy and nobility were suspicious of the middle class

• Nobles started to warm to the middle class merchants• 11th – 13th – middle class attempted to gain new liberties

or privileges• Most important privilege – personal freedom• Personal freedom meant being free from servile

obligations and citizenship• Citizenship – brought the right to buy and sell goods• Full citizens were exempt from market tolls and taxes

What was the role and function of the guilds?

• A union of workers• Merchant Guild – united enterprise / lessened

financial risk by pooling resources / greater investment security

• Craft Guild – controlled the number of workers –apprentice, journeyman, and master / controlled the quality of goods, controlled the quantity of goods / controlled the price of goods

• Craft Guilds provided greater opportunity for women than did merchant guilds

• Guild leaders became the oligarchy of the town

What was the Hanseatic League?

• Mercantile association of towns• Members had exclusive trading rights• A monopoly was established when possible• Created mutual security agreements• 13th-16th Century – controlled trade along the

Novgorod-Reval-Lubeck-Hamburg-Bruges-London Axis

• Factories were created where all facets of trade business could be housed

What new business practices facilitated the commercial revolution?

• Expanding international trade

• New money was put into circulation as new silver deposits were discovered

• Mutual confidence – this was an early form of credit

• Led to bill of exchange

• This made trade safer as large amounts of money were no longer needed

What was the social, political, and economic impact of the commercial revolution?

• While only 10% of the population, the commercial class became influential

• New wealth – higher standard of living

• Kings could tax new wealth – a strong monarch could evolve

• Serfs could improve status by becoming merchants

• Europe was changing from rural to urban