Lesson 6: Life in Medieval Towns

Key Idea

Life on a feudal manor was difficult and unchanging. Most peasants were tied to the land and served a lord, with no chance to improve their situation. As towns grew, they offered an escape and a new kind of life.

There was a saying that "town air makes you free." Many towns were independent and not ruled by a feudal lord. This gave people the freedom to learn a skilled trade, earn their own money, and climb the social ladder.

Key Idea

As towns became busy centers of trade, skilled craftspeople like weavers and shoemakers organized to protect their work. They formed powerful groups called guilds, which were associations for everyone working in the same craft. This allowed them to control their trade and secure their livelihoods.

Guilds set rules for their members. They decided on fair prices and checked products to ensure they were high quality. They also trained new workers and supported members who fell ill. By controlling business, guilds became the backbone of the town economy and offered a stable way of life.

Key Idea

A deadly disease called the Black Death started in Central Asia. It traveled west on merchant ships, carried by fleas that lived on rats. These ships followed the same sea lanes that brought valuable goods like silk and spices to Europe.

The plague first reached Europe in 1347 at busy Italian ports. From the docks, it spread inland along the trade routes that connected towns and cities. The very networks that had made Europe prosperous now became pathways for a devastating sickness.

Key Idea

New farming methods and a warmer climate allowed farmers to grow more food than they needed. This agricultural surplus meant that not everyone had to work on a farm. Some people became merchants and craftspeople, and the extra food could be sold at markets, which revived trade across Europe.

These markets often grew into busy towns. As towns became wealthier, their leaders wanted to govern themselves instead of following a feudal lord's rules. They pooled their money to purchase a charter from a king or noble. This written grant gave the town freedom to make its own laws and raise taxes.