Goal 8 – Nation-Building on the Periphery of EuropeThe student will trace the political developments of the nations of Spain, Portugal, the Swiss Confederation, Russia, and Eastern Europe. 8.01 Describe political developments of medieval Spain and assess its cultural distinctiveness from medieval Europe.8.02 Survey the political developments of medieval Portugal.8.03 Trace the political developments of the Swiss Confederation and evaluate its political distinctiveness from medieval Europe.

Goal 9 – Economic Developments of the Late Middle AgesThe student will examine the various economic developments of medieval Europe. 9.01 Analyze the causes and effects of the Agricultural Revolution in Europe.9.02 Assess the development of technology, trade, commerce and the growth of guilds in medieval Europe.9.03 Trace the causes and evaluate the lasting effects of the Bubonic Plagues during the 14 th century on cultural and economic developments in medieval Europe. Goal 10 – The Renaissance and ReformationThe student will evaluate the causes and effects of the Renaissance and Reformation on Europe. 10.01 Define the geopolitical setting of Italy in 1350 on the eve of the Renaissance.10.02 Summarize the Humanistic movements of the 14th century.10.03 Trace the cultural and intellectual developments of the Renaissance.10.04 Assess the influence of the Renaissance as a catalyst for change in medieval Europe.10.05 Compare the role of women in Renaissance to previous cultural and intellectual movements of medieval Europe.

Factors influencing Agriculture Revolution

The climate turned warmer in the 800's.  Warmer climate meant longer growing seasons and better harvests. 

Major plagues of the later Roman Empire also ceased after 743 C.E. 

The feudal system provided security to Europe. The increased stability created by all these factors

helped provide the conditions needed for population growth and economic revival. 

Finally, new farming techniques helped to greatly expand food supplies and lead to the rise of towns.

Three-field system: Originally, Northern

Europe used a two-field system.

Two field system well suited to the climate of the Mediterranean, but not Northern Europe with growing seasons in both summer and winter.

Peasants learned to divide their farmland into three fields, one for winter crops, one for summer crops, and one to remain fallow.

 

•In order to prevent soil exhaustion peasants used different crops that took different nutrients from the soil. 

•Winter crop typically consisted of winter wheat or rye. Spring crop either wheat or legumes (beans or peas). 

•Added advantage of legumes-they take nitrogen out of the air rather than the soil, and replenish the soil with nitrogen.

The charts demonstrate how the two systems work.

Field 1 Field 2

Year 1 Winter Crops Fallow

Year 2 Fallow Winter Crops

Year 3 Winter Crops Fallow

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

Year 1 Winter Crop

Summer Crop

Fallow

Year 2 Fallow Winter Crop

Summer Crop

Year 3 Summer Crop

Fallow Winter Crop

Year 4 Winter Crop

Summer Crop

Fallow

Consider what the change from the two-field system would have meant to a peasant village farming 60 acres.  In the old system only 30 acres would be planted each year.  In the new three-field system 40 acres would be planted, producing 33% more food.

Another major development in farming was the heavy plow that could cut through the deep, wet, and heavy soils of Northern Europe much better than the light scratch plow. It had three basic parts:  the coulter or

heavy knife that cut through the soil vertically, the plowshare that cut through the soil horizontally, and the mouldboard, which turned the soil to one side. 

The heavy plow saved time and created furrows, little ridges and valleys in each plowed row.  In times of drought, water would drain into the valleys and ensure some crops would survive.  In times of heavy rains, the crops on top of the ridges would not get flooded out.

A New Source of Power –

Horse could pull up to fifty percent faster than the ox, and could work one to two hours longer per days.

Invention of the horseshoe prevented hooves from cracking in the cold wet soil. 

Horse collars allowed horses to pull from the chest rather than the neck increasing the horse's pulling power. (From about 1,000 lbs to 5,000 lbs)

Finally, cross breeding provided larger plow horses. 

Plow horse could increase farm production as much as 30 percent for those peasants who could afford horses. 

Being 50% faster than oxen, horses could bring food into a town from 50% farther away. 

Increasing the radius of the surrounding farmland and supplying a town more than doubled the amount of agricultural produce.

In addition, the replacement of the two-wheeled cart with the four-wheeled wagon increased the amount of grain a peasant could bring into town.

In the twelfth century, towns and trade in Western Europe blossomed. While the Agricultural Revolution made it possible to support larger town populations with food, the end of Viking and Arab raids made the roads safer for trade.

Indeed, the old Roman cities in Italy evolved from centers of defense into thriving towns with a strong middle class

primarily concerned with trade and manufacture.

Flanders (roughly equivalent to modern Belgium), soon saw the development of towns and trade also. 

The Cistercians (Christian monks who lived on rocky ground unsuitable for farming) were very good at raising sheep and wool, which they traded to Flemish merchants, who started a wool industry.

When the slow hand loom was replaced with an improved mechanical loom from Muslim Spain sometime in the eleventh century, Flemish wool became a highly valued commodity.

In the middle of the old Roman trade routes linking Italy and Flanders was the French county of Champagne where large trade fairs were held.

Revenue from booths, food, lodging and protection meant these trade fairs generated a great deal of excitement and money!

This surge in the economy left the emerging middle class of merchants and artisans with their share of problems. 

Different weights, measures, and standards of coinage complicated financial transactions. 

As a result, associations, leagues and guilds were formed to protect and promote trade.  These were not examples of free enterprise, because their purpose was to keep competitors out of their markets.

Hanseatic League The most important of these leagues was the Hanseatic League, which was centered on the city of Lubeck in the southwest corner of the Baltic Sea.  At the height of its power (c.1350 C.E.) the Hanseatic League contained over seventy German cities throughout the Baltic and North Seas.  The Hanseatic League's success was also based on more advanced business techniques, in particular the use of credit.  Buying in larger volume using credit allowed members to sell each unit of goods at a lower price and thus undersell other merchants not dealing in credit.  Besides common military action, the Hanseatic League carried out other measures to protect and promote trade.  For one thing, it established common weights, measures and coinage throughout its member cities. 

Although the Hanseatic League was the most important of the medieval town leagues, it was by no means the

only one.  

Guilds - served much of the same function on a local level as leagues did on a wider geographic level - protecting their members from the dangers of the outside world. 

Originally each town would have one guild for all crafts.  However, as the towns grew, the number of guilds grew and specialized - merchant, goldsmith, tailor, miller, etc. 

The purpose of each guild was to exclude outsiders from practicing that guild's craft or trade within the city walls. 

Training for and admission into the guild was strictly regulated. 

Typically, a master craftsman would take on an apprentice who would live in the master's home, work in his shop, and learn the craft. At the end of the apprentice training (3-15 years later), the apprentice became a journeyman who worked as a day laborer for different masters until he could save enough money to start his own shop.  When he was ready, the journeyman would be examined by the guild masters for his technical ability, oftentimes having to produce a masterpiece to show his proficiency at the craft.  If he passed the exam, and there was room in the guild, he became a master who shared in the limited, but fairly stable market established by the guild for its members.

Guilds provided justice by settling

disputes between members.  Provided insurance against fire,

flood, theft, prison, and old age. Guilds paid for members' funerals and for masses and prayers to free their souls from Purgatory. 

They built hospitals, almshouses, schools and orphanages.

•Guilds were a source of pride for members.  Each guild had its own guildhall where meetings and social functions were held.  On the day celebrating its patron saint, a guild would put on parades and religious plays.  Guilds would also dedicate to the town cathedral stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes that were also concerned with that guild's particular craft.

Guilds, like leagues, caused Europe's economy and trade to improve, which made possible the rise of kings and more stable conditions. 

At the same time, stability and trade fostered by the rise of kings sent explorers looking for new markets…

The Plague

During the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance, the bubonic plague—commonly referred to as the “Black Death”—ravaged the population of Europe.

It was transmitted to humans by fleas that had bitten infected rats. The disease caused very painful swollen lymph nodes called buboes.

The name “Black Death” came from the dried blood which would often form under the skin and cause black spots.

Spread of the Plague

Started in China -killed millions of people in mainland Asia. Due to its highly

Reached Europe in 1347 via a merchant ship on the island of Sicily

1347–48: southern Europe1349–50: central Europe and the

British IslesThe plague spread for several

reasons, including the outbreak of war (the Hundred Years’ War was fought while the plague affected Europe) and the fact that many infected people often brought the disease to new locations by trying to escape the horrors of the disease.

Popular Medical “Cures” for the Plague

At the time, the field of medicine did not understand what caused the Black Death—or how to cure it. Doctors wore strange costumes and used folk cures to deal with the disease. Among the more absurd remedies: Bathing in human urine Wearing excrement Placing dead animals in homes Wearing leeches Drinking molten gold and powdered emeralds Burning incense to get rid of the smell of dead Not surprisingly, these “cures” did little to

address the real problems of the plague and many even made the disease worse

A costume worn by doctors to ward off the Plague

Effects of the Plague

Killed 25–30 million EuropeansUndermined faith in religionEconomyCulture influencedReligious leaders blamed the plague on sin, piety and prayer

Population led to an economic downturn both the number of available laborers and consumers declined

sharply. Merchants and tradespeople had fewer people to whom they

could sell their wares. Products therefore accumulated, and the merchants and those who dealt with them—bankers, suppliers, and shippers—all lost revenue.

The plague also influenced many of the artists of the time; works from this period often had very dark themes and tones.

Image Bibliography

http://www.booksmarts.biz/WHY%20SHORTS%20COVERS/Middle%20ages.jpg

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/history/images/guilds2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/history/middle.htm&h=242&w=288&sz=12&hl=en&start=7&tbnid=BCqZKwDqgDnM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dguilds%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

http://d21c.com/jammarie/misc/harvest-time.jpg

http://www.ipcvision.com/page03/sun/sun-03bc.jpg

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/ba3468a2a8681f69872569d60073fde1/0ebced66eb849e0087256f4f007e5f68/$FILE/Photo%202-2%20(crop%20residue)_l.jpg

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/grocery/Legumes.jpg

http://www.digisys.net/users/ksbridal/horseshoe.jpg

http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~walters/web%20230/euro%20medieval_fair.jpg

http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/history/images/guilds2.jpg

http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newpictures/legrandehermine7-07-01-mn.jpg