5.1 New Cities

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• mavo
• Leerjaar 1

AGE 4: The Time of Cities and States

5.1 New Cities

AGE 4: the Time of Cities and States

1000 - 1500

Today, more than half of the people in the world live in cities. In Europe this number is even higher: About seventy percent of the population lives in cities.

This was very different at the start of the Middle Ages. Many Roman cities had been destroyed. Europe had turned into an agricultural society. When and why did this change? When were most cities in Western Europe established? Why did people in the Late Middle Ages (1000 - 1500) move to the cities? 

Typical Aspects:

1. Return of international trade 

2. Rise of independent cities

3. Rise of states with a centralised administration

4. Conflict between Church and State

5. Expansion of Christianity through Crusades

LATE MIDDLE AGES

What is this lesson about?

In the late Middle Ages, more and more people moved to the cities. They expected the city had a lot to offer them. And indeed for many, the city was a place to work, earn money and build up a life.

What are the main questions of this lesson?

Why did people move to cities?

People moved to the city to find work, earn money and build up a life. In cities, people were free to go where they wanted.

What were guilds?

A guild was an association of people who had the same job. Guilds were very important. They controlled who could practise a craft in a city.

What groups lived in the cities?

Three different groups lived in the cities: Upper class: merchants and masters of a guild. Middle class: craftsmen and shopkeepers. Lower class: common workers and poor beggars.

Word Duty

burghers: free people who lived in cities.

guild: an association of people who had the same job, such as bakers, carpenters and blacksmiths. A guild controlled who could practise a craft in the city.

KEY WORDS

B. Development of new cities

• After 1000 AD food production increased.
• Farmers produced more food than they needed. This is called a "surplus" (overschot)
• The surplus was sold at markets
• Around markets, new towns developed.
• Result: trade grew even more and the cities became bigger.

C. Inside a Medieval city

What did a Medieval city look like?

• around 10,000 - 40,000 people
• narrow, muddy, smelly filthy streets.
• houses made of wood, dangerous for fires.
• big cities were surrounded by a wall.
• Churches were the largest buildings in the city.

D. Craftsmen and Guilds

• In the cities there were traders (handelaren) and craftsmen (ambachtslieden).
• They were organised in guilds.
• a guild was a group of people with the same job
• What did guilds do?
•         organise the training of new members
•         regulate working hours, quality and prices
•         help members when someone is ill.

E. City People

• City people were called burghers
• There were big differences between rich and poor burghers
• there were 3 groups of burghers: