LibGuides: Middle Ages: Commerce

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Brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)

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Merchants

Merchants in the Middle Ages
Merchants in the middle ages were business people who participated in retail and trade. The medieval merchant was seen as both a trader and trafficker of wares across countries. The middle ages merchant sourced for his products during his travels and would then sell them in markets and shops or at fairs.

Guilds

Medieval Guilds
Medieval Guilds played an important role in Medieval towns as guilds attempted to guarantee standards amongst crafts in Medieval England.
Medieval Guilds
Guilds were groups of individuals with common goals. The term guild had many synonyms in the Middle Ages. These included association, brotherhood, college, company, confraternity, corporation, craft, fellowship, fraternity, livery, and society.
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This is a long authoritative article, so skim and scan and look for key words.

Impact on society

Changes in Medieval Society
While Church reform, cathedral building, and the Crusades were taking place, other important changes were occurring in medieval society. Between 1000 and 1300, agriculture, trade, and finance made significant advances. Towns and cities grew.
Citation:
Beck, R. and Black, L. (2009). World history: Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell.
Technologies of towns and trade
The most productive medieval manors were the most specialized; they farmed the most productive crops most intensively. These manors, however, had to trade for everything they could not supply themselves, and required markets in which to sell their surplus.
Medieval Europe: Economic History
The economy of Medieval Europe was based primarily on farming, but as time went by trade and industry became more important, towns grew in number and size, and merchants became more important.

Buying and selling goods to the general masses may not seem very exciting, but being a merchant in the Middle Ages ensured one a life filled with adventure. This programme teaches students about the lives of these well-travelled entrepreneurs, whose trade in life generated the need for building medieval towns. Get a first hand account of what it was like to be the wife of a merchant, and follow the path young boys pursued to learn a craft. Explore the role of the guilds and learn why the cathedrals of the period are lasting reminders of the wealth and dedication of these travelling craftsmen.

Focus Questions

What are the key features of your chosen aspect of Medieval life?
How does your aspect demonstrate the beliefs and ideas of Medieval society?
What does it reveal to us about what people thought at the time?
What are some of the ways that your aspect reflected and re-enforced medieval social structures?
Explain with reference to at least two different historians’ opinions.
How and why did your aspect change over time?
In your opinion does your topic demonstrate similarities between the medieval period and today? Explain

Articles

Guild
This entry is from the New World encyclopedia and contains the following sections:
1 Structure
2 History
2.1 Early Guilds
2.2 Muslim Guilds
2.3 European Guilds
2.4 Later Guilds
3 Modern guilds
3.1 Professional organizations
3.2 Guilds in the area of popular culture
4 Continuing influence of guilds

Middle Ages: Commerce

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