Introduction/Growth of Towns
Where were the towns in medieval Europe often located, and WHY?
Near castles, monasteries, or trade routes
An organization of people in the same craft or trade is called what?
A guild
Describe a typical home in a medieval town.
Small, crowded, several stories high, wooden, leaning over, etc.
What conditions in medieval towns led to the spread of diseases?
Dirty, no running water, outdoor privies or chamber pots, emptied into gutters/streams/canals, garbage in the street, crowded living, bathing only once a week (at most), rats, fleas, etc.
What did travelers have to watch out for when roaming the streets of a medieval town, in terms of crime?
Pickpockets (theives)
What is the biggest factor that contributed to the growth of medieval towns?
Improvements to Agriculture (Farming and Livestock)
Why were guilds established?
To provide help and protection for workers
What was difficult about childhood in a medieval town?
1/2 of all children died before reaching adulthood, they started working at age 7, poorly educated.
What is leprosy?
A disease of the skin and nerves causing open sores, very contagious
What was a trial by combat?
Fighting to prove your innocence. The belief was that God would ensure the right person won.
How was a town able to become independent of a feudal lord?
They could by a royal charter.
How did trade change from the Middle Ages to the High Middle Ages?
Middle Ages trade was only in luxury items, High Middle Ages it was also common items.
When did girls typically marry and begin having children?
Most married young (around 15), and began raising children immediately.
What were some common diseases at the time that had no cure?
Measles, smallpox, cholera, scarlet fever, and the bubonic plague
What was being "put in the stocks?"
Countryside (Rural)
How did merchants become so wealthy?
Increases in trade, fairs, travel, etc.
Most boys grew up to do what profession?
Whatever their fathers did
What was another name (nickname) for the bubonic plague?
The Black Death
What types of games were played during medieval times?
Chess, badminton, checkers, backgammon, lawn bowling, blind man's bluff, cards
Were medieval towns clean and fresh or dirty, trashy, and smelly?
Dirty, trashy, and smelly
How was the Jewish community often persecuted?
They were not able to own land, targets of violence, lack of private property.
What was the only source of heat and light inside the medieval house in a town?
Fireplace.
How were diseases treated in medieval times?
What types of entertainment were present at medieval fairs?
Jugglers, Dancers, Clowns, stilt-walkers, musicians, plays, reenactments (St. George and the Dragon)