The Rise of the Middle Class

Ani Marellapudi&

Daniel Minunni

The Middle ClassBy 1000 A.D the old social order of nobles, clergy, and peasants changed.Merchants, traders, and artisans, ranked between nobles and peasants, made a new social class called the middle class.

The Middle Class (Cont’d)

Nobles and the clergy were not in favor of this new social class.The nobles thought that towns were disruptive and beyond their control.The clergy did not agree with usury and thought it was immoral.

The Rise of GuildsWhen the middle class gained economic and political power, groups of workers created associations known as guilds.Guilds helped pass laws, levy taxes, and decided where to spend funds.

The Rise of Guilds (Cont’d)

Members of a guild cooperated to protect their economic interests.Guild membership was limited.People not of a guild were not allowed to work in the trade.Guilds made rules to ensure the quality of their goods and regulate hours of labor.They also provided social services.

Becoming a Guild Member

At the age of seven or eight, a child might become an apprentice to a guild master. After spending seven years learning the trade, the apprentice was ready to start working.Few apprentices became guild members but instead worked as journeymen.

The Role of Women in Guilds

Women often performed the trade of her father or husband.She might inherit the workshop if he died.Young girls became apprentices in trades such as ribbonmaking and papermaking.

Town and City LifeMedieval towns and cities were surrounded by tall and protective walls.As a city grew, the space inside the walls was filled to overflowing.Many residents built second and third stories to their homes and shop to accommodate for the lack of space.

Town and City Life (Cont’d)

Almost all cities had a church with a great steeple.Some of the largest cities had a great cathedral or a luxurious guild hall.People of similar backgrounds usually lived in neighborhoods around the church.

Town and City Life (Cont’d)

During the day, streets were loud with the yelling and shouting of merchants selling their merchandise. At night, streets were unlit and deserted.Almost no towns had garbage collection or a sewer system.Towns were filthy, smelly, noisy, and crowded.

BibliographyEllis, Elisabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. "The Rise of The Middle Class."      World History. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2007. 235-36. Print.“Medieval Towns and Cities.” Medieval World. 2010. Expert Space. 11 Feb. 2010.<http://expertspace.groiler.com/article?id=10003047&product_id=ngo>"Guilds in the Middle Ages." Middle-Ages. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.

<http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/guilds-in-the-middle-ages.htm>.