Krystian Masiewicz

2/19/14

F-Band

H.W. #7

1. identify: The Commercial Revolution

During the period of time when agriculture was expanding and the craftsmanship was changing,
trade and finance were also changing. Life in Europe changed with the increased availability of
trade goods, and new ways of doing business. This expansion of trade and business was called
the Commercial Revolution.
2. Define: merchant, guild, apprentice
merchant- (n) a person or company involved in wholesale trade, esp. one dealing with foreign
countries or supplying merchandise to a particular trade.
guild- (n) a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power.
apprentice- (n) a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed to work
for a fixed period at low wages.
3.Descrive in detail three (3) changes in Europe from 1000-1300
One of the changes in Europe was in farming. Farmers cultivated lands in regions that used to be
too cold to grow crops. They also used other things to take advantage of more available land.
They switched to horsepower instead of using oxen. They cost more, but they could plow three
times as much land as oxen in the same amount of time. They also utilized the three field system
which allowed them to grow food on two thirds of their fields instead of just half. This increased

food production and led to villagers having more to eat. Another thing that changed in Europe
was the development of the guild. A guild was a group of people who had the same job, and who
worked to improve the economic and social conditions of its members. Merchant guilds were the
ones who started up first. By the 1000s more and better products could now be purchased in
small towns and in bigger cities. Guilds became very powerful forces in the economy. A huge
change in Western Europe was the rise of population by about twelve million people in only 150
years. Trade was the very lifeblood of brand new towns, it sprung up almost anywhere from ports
to rivers. As the trade grew, towns all over Europe started to fill up with people. The excitement
of bustle of towns attracted large amounts of people.
4.Why was trade important to the growth of cities?
Trade was important to the growth of cities because with all the improvements, more people had
moved to towns. Trade deepened on the government to provide better roads and transportation.
With trade, people felt more comfortable with moving into towns because they could support
themselves and know they will be able to get everything they need with trade.