High Medieval Economy Flashcards
Summarise the economic situation from 900-1000:
Decline, maybe stability at times. No development and a rudimentary economy. Violent societies.
Summarise the economic situation from 1000-1315:
Dramatic growth in all aspects of society e.g. population, technology…
Summarise the economic situation from 1315-1500:
‘Little Ice Age’. Economic stagnation, 1346 Black Death.
When was the Black Death? What was its mortality rate.
- 50-60% fatality rate.
What was the general impact of the economic change in the late medieval era?
It created a growing politicised class of merchants in Europe.
What were the two ways economic and demographic change occurred in the late medieval era?
- Through the changing of existing settlements.
2. Creation of new areas
What exemplifies the changing of existing settlements as a facet for demographic and economic growth?
The change in the manorial system .
What was the Lord’s own land in the manorial system called?
Demense.
What types of tenants existed in manorial systems prior to the transformation that occurred in the late medieval era?
‘Free’ and ‘Unfree’ peasants.
What was the defining difference between ‘free’ and ‘unfree’ peasants?
‘Free’ peasants paid their rent in food or money, ‘unfree’ were serfs tied to the land who paid in labour.
What eventually happened to the renting practises in the manorial system? What did this mean?
All rent eventually became paid in food and money. This meant that peasants had more freedom as they were no longer tied to the land they cultivated.
What began happening to the manorial lands?
They were being fragmented, becoming smaller and smaller yet still supporting the same sized families.
Why was there a change in manorial systems functioning?
Because lords began pandering to the emerging supply-demand economy rather than an economy of sustenance.
What increased the profits lords made in manorial systems?
The use of banalities.
What is a region specific example of the manorial system?
‘Fronhofs’ were specifically in Germany and were indoctrinated into societal laws etc. unlike de facto manorial systems in other countries.
What percentage of goods from the manorial systems was surplus?
50%.
Why was there a decline in servile rents?
Because these were only beneficial when land was being cultivated, but this was becoming increasingly uncommon.
How many acres were needed to support a medieval family?
10 acres, but many were living on just one.
Why was there a creation of new areas?
Because of the pressure on resources in Western Europe.
What new technology helped alleviate the pressure on resources in the west?
The adoption of the three-field crop rotation system over the traditional two-field system.
In particular, which people migrated east?
The Germanic peoples.
What was the economic relationship that developed between the east and west?
Eastern surplus grain was sent west to aid overpopulation. This increased trade and product circulation in Europe.
What was the impact of the increase in European product circulation?
There was a growth in towns and cities as they grew to accommodate trading networks.
What drove the start of high medieval trading networks?
A growing domestic demand for basics of survival.
What was the good was being traded the most in the high medieval economy?
Grain.
Where were there high levels of early urbanisation and. why?
Around the Rhine, due to the proximity to the North Sea and thus the cultivated English wool trade, as well as the eastern grain farms.
Who argued that the two largest industries in the medieval era were grain and textiles?
Malcolm Barber.
What exemplifies the high medieval trading network?
Champagne fairs.
What sort of goods were exchanged at Champagne fairs?
Flemish textiles, ‘orient spices’ as well as Fertile Crescent money circulated by Italian merchants.
What did Champagne fairs bring to the Champagne region of France?
A growth in infrastructure due to localised wealth. Also built confidence in trade.
What bound merchants of Champagne fairs?
They were often sponsored by counts (and later kings), contracts from Champagne were valid anywhere in the world. If these were broken, all merchants from the town of the person who broke it would be banned.
What led to the decline of Champagne fairs’ prominence?
The introduction of maritime trading routes, Bruges became new economic centre due to geographical location.
What caused the development of maritime shipping routes?
The decline of the Muslim Empire in Spain opening up the strait of Gibraltar from 1200 to Christians.
What percentage of people in Flanders (14thC) lived in cities in comparison to the rest of Europe?
60%, in comparison to 10-15% in the rest of Europe.
What city depicts the precarious economics of the medieval society?
Bergen, Normandy (very Western) It was blockaded by Germany to protect their monopoly and subsequently experienced a famine.
List three new cities that arose due to late medieval urbanisation:
- Berlin.
- Jüteburg.
- Lübeck.
List three cities that grew in importance due to the development of trading networks:
- Cologne.
- Ypres.
- Ghent.
What was the population of Paris by 1300?
200,000.
