WHI-Chap20-Obj1
What 9th and 10th century developments helped pave the way for the revival of trade, urban centers, and learning in the High Middle Ages?
When the High Middle Ages began, Europe was going through a series of changes. Regional states became the basis for the more stable political order. Europe became full of states such as France, Castile, Hungary, and Poland. Some areas tried to build large empires. In the late 10th century, The Holy Roman Empire was established. As the areas became more centralized, it opened them up to advantages such as long distance trade and the establishment of trading centers.
New technologies and tools led to increased agricultural production and economic growth as well as population growth. As population increased, the amount of arable land grew. Much larger areas were devoted to agriculture. Also, there were new crops introduced such as beans, peas, spinach, and artichoke. New tools and technologies were developed such as the heavy plow. THe horse shoe and horse collar made it possible to increase the amount of land that cultivators could work. Horse shoes prevented softened and split hooves from horses that walked through moist fields. The horse collar was used to distribute the weight of a heavy plow on the horse's back and shoulders so they could use it without choking. These improvements in the field of agriculture led to a much larger population and economic growth.
This economic expansion led to increased long-distance trade and the establishment of new towns and larger cities. There was increased trade in the Mediterranean basin and around the Italian penninsula. The cities of Amalfi and Venice were ports where merchants traded with Byzantines and Muslims. To the north, the Hanseatic League dominated sea trade. It was a trading network in the baltic and North Seas which contained cities from Novogorod to London. Members formed an alliance and constantly traded with each other. The cities in the League grew to become great trade centers.
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