Why did trade cause growth of cities during the middle ages?

Answer 1

There are many natural spots in cities and towns to grow: sometimes it is because there is a river, other times it is because the area has good soil, or on a trade route, so people begin to stay in these places. In the middle ages many towns began because a manor or castle was there to protect them. Again, the reason for the castle was because the area was on a trade route or overlooked a valley that was considered important.

More:

One of the important changes that took place in medieval Europe was the growth of towns and cities. This did not result from geography alone, but because of a number of very important other factors.

The agricultural advances of the Early Middle Ages meant that the peasants could support more people. These inventions included the horse collar, which made it possible for a horse to pull greater loads for longer times without tiring, horse shoes, and the heavy plow. They also included European style wheel barrows, the three field system of crop rotation, and about twenty new crops that were introduced from the East.

Another set of factors included more stable governments and an end to the Age of Migrations and the raids by Vikings.

The introduction of a system of roads for pilgrims, protected by monks who were also knights, benefited not only the people who travelled on pilgrimage, but merchants, who began to trade across land. Foreign trade was also good at times. These things made towns and cities more important.

Guilds arose, and took an active role in the local economies and governments. They quickly took control of some towns, making them free towns or cities within monarchies, or actual independent city states. These also made towns and cities more important.

A number of kings fostered the growth of towns and cities. Towns were distinguished from villages by the fact that they had royal charters allowing them to have permanent markets. They were chosen for this based on location, which sometimes meant that they were at good ports or river crossings, but sometimes meant that they were a good distance from other markets so they would serve the local population without causing undue competition.

There were a lot of technological advances in the Middle Ages that gave rise to manufacturing, such as new looms, spinning wheels, paper mills, blast furnaces, harbor cranes, and so on. Some of these required towns or cities to have a dense enough population to make them practicable.

Universities were opening. These institutions, which were sometimes operated by the Church, but as often were either state supported or independent, brought people together in the cities where they existed, increasing the population.

Answer 2

One point of view:

As trade grew medieval cities became overcrowded and unsanitary.

Another point of view:

As trade grew, medieval cities became more important, more prosperous, and bigger.

Answer 3

Yes. Once the dislocation caused by the Great Plague ('Black Death') had been overcome the towns and cities in many parts of Central and Western Europe flourished. Highly skilled craftsmen in often enjoyed very high living standards. Trade also flourished. Long-distance trade was most efficient by ship, including rivers as well as the seas. The period c.1380-1500 was the heyday of the Hanseatic League. Overland trade also grew, and some of the routes were long, for example from Luebeck and Hamburg to southern Germany and across the Alps to Milan. Another important long-distance route ran from nothern France and Flanders via Frankfurt to Prague. The two routes crossed at Nuremberg, which achieved an impressive level of prosperity. In England, cities like London, Norwich, Bristol and flouished in the late Middle Ages. By 1500, Norwich had 56 churches (of which 32 are still standing) - and a vast cathedral. Obviously, with the cities, wealth and income were very unevenly distributed.

Answer 4

One factor that led to the growth of towns during the High Middle Ages was that trade flourished. The trade flourished because most of the towns and cities were either near rivers or near a seaport.

Answer 5

Trade grew in the Middle Ages for a number of somewhat interrelated reasons.

• Improvements in agriculture allowed more people to live in towns and cities. These people were dependent to some degree on trade.
• Improvements in transportation, especially improvements in roads and security for travelers, made travel for trade easier.
• Improvements in the economies of countries stabilized the market places. This was brought about largely by monetary reforms of Charlemagne.
• Increased contact between Europeans and the Arabs, Persians, and Chinese increased the demand for imported goods. This was especially true of silk and spices.
• Trade guilds arose and began to influence governments to improve trade. In many cases, the guilds actually took over government.
• Educational facilities for merchants became more common, especially after the introduction of the Arabic numbering system.
• International organizations arose that provided for money transfers.

Answer 6

Many people from the Renaissance went to many different places to to learn more about other countries.

Answer 7

their was a new class which were the merchants.

Answer 8

Cities have trading markets and there is more trading done at cities than other random places!