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The Expansion
of Trade

FIGURE 2-1 The Polo merchants in the court of the Kublai Khan. Why do you think Marco Polos writings about his travels became so
popular? What does this show about peoples attitude toward the world beyond Europe?

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WORLDVIEW INQUIRY
What impact might increased trade
and business have on a societys
worldview?

Geography

Economy

Worldview

Values

Around 1300. A crowd of citizens had been invited to dine

with the Polo brothers in Venice, Italy.

Time

Knowledge

Beliefs

Society

arco Polo peered around a curtain into the

noisy dining hall. The word on everyones

lips was: Why? They had all met the merchants

In This Chapter
In the previous chapter, you

Marco, Niccol, and Maffeo Polo and heard their

explored some of the ways that

outrageous stories about their travels. But why had

society, religion, and a changing

Marco Polo invited them to this banquet?

economy affected worldview. You

Suddenly the Polos entered the hall. They were

saw how towns where goods

dressed in strange loose pants and tops with sashes

could be exchanged were growing

tied around the waist. On their heads they wore

up all over Western Europe. In

wide, pointed straw hats. Marco Polo pulled hand-

this chapter, you will explore how

fuls of diamonds, rubies, amethysts, and other pre-

trade and business expanded in

cious stones out of his pockets and tossed them on

the tables. The people stared in amazement. The
Polos laughed. Now do you finally believe us
about Cathay? asked Marco.
Is this story true? Who knows? It is one of many

Renaissance Europe. How did

trade with the East affect
European society? How did
increased trade influence the
growth and development of
powerful city-states in Italy?

legends that have grown up about Marco Polo. He

wrote a book about his travels to the area that we
now call China. It became a best seller and was
translated into many languages. Scholars today still
debate how much of his account Polo actually experienced and how much he picked up from other
merchants on the road.

In what ways do you think the Polos worldview might

have been different from the worldview of most people
of the Middle Ages?
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The Rise of International Trade

What factors contributed to
the rise of trade between
Western Europe and the
East at the beginning of
the Renaissance?

LINK UP
In Chapter 5, you will be reading
about Ibn Battuta, a Muslim
traveller who lived around the
same time as Marco Polo. He
travelled through the entire
Muslim world as well as India,
China, and Southeast Asia.

Now take a few steps back in time. Try to put yourself in the shoes of
Marco Polo before he set out on his travels. You are 17 years old and for
the last 10 years you have been listening to your father and uncle talk
about their travels to Cathay, an amazing land far to the east. Now they
are planning another trip and they have asked you to come along.
What will you say?
For much of their journey across Asia, the Polos travelled the
Silk Road. This was the name given to routes that connected civilizations from the Mediterranean in the west to Pacific Ocean in the east
(Figure 2-2). More than trade goods were passed along these routes
intercultural contact led to exchanges of ideas and knowledge, as well.
Although the Silk Road was major trade route, few of the travellers
along the road were European. Marco Polo was in the right place to
have experiences that were available only to a handful of Europeans
of his time.

Think IT THROUGH
Italys location has been
described as Europes
gateway to the East. Is this
an appropriate metaphor?
Explain. What other
metaphors would you use to
describe Italys location in
terms of trade?

ASIA

EUROPE
Venice
Naples

1000

2000 km

Constantinople

Alexandria

Baghdad

Cairo
To Genoa

Canton

PACIFIC
OCEAN

Mecca

AFRICA

Malacca

Mogadishu

Zanzibar

INDIAN
OCEAN

CHINA
silks
drugs
perfumes
porcelain
ginger

AUSTRALIA
FIGURE 2-2 The Silk Road Trade
Routes and Trade Goods. Camel
caravans travelled long distances
moving goods from one region to
another. There was also extensive
trade by sea. What kinds of products were traded on the Silk Road?
40

Unit 1

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EAST AFRICA
gold
ivory
slaves

INDIA
pepper
cottons
sugar
dyestuffs
precious stones

SRI LANKA
cinnamon
precious stones
ivory
EAST INDIES
spices
camphor

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The Crusades and Trade

Trade between Venice and other Italian cities and the East had actually
been re-established several centuries before the Polos journeys. It happened as a result of a series of religious wars between Christian and
Muslim forces. These wars became known as the Crusades.

Zoom In >

The Crusades

The land of Palestine, which contained religious

sites sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, was
under Christian control for many centuries.
However, in the middle of the seventh century, the
area was taken over by the Turks, who later became
Muslims. In 1095, Pope Urban II launched a
Christian Crusade to drive out the Muslims. In
response to the Popes message, thousands of
men, women, and children walked across Europe
heading for the Holy Land. They were eventually
wiped out. Later, groups of knights set to do battle
with the Turks. Christian knights, as well as Muslim
warriors, looked on fighting in a holy war as a way of
guaranteeing themselves a place in heaven.
The First Crusade created a Christian kingdom
in the Middle East that lasted for about a hundred
years. In 1187, a bold new Muslim leader, the
Sultan Saladin, recaptured Jerusalem. The

300

What connections can you make between the

Crusades and what you read in Chapter 1 about
the importance of religion in the worldview of
medieval Europe?
Look at the map of the Crusades and the map
on the previous page. What conclusions can
you draw about the Crusades that might have
affected trade between Europe and the East?
Muslims, Christians, and Jews had managed to
share the Holy Land for close to 400 years.
What elements of the conflict during the
Crusades do you see in current tensions in the
Middle East?

600 km

First Crusade, 10961099

SEA

strength of the united Muslims after Saladin eventually brought an end to the Crusades. The
Muslims regained all their lands.

Second Crusade, 11471149

IC

NORTH
SEA

T
BAL

Third Crusade, 11891192

Fourth Crusade, 12021204

Metz

ATLANTIC
OCEAN

EUROPE
Vienna

Regensberg
Lyon
Marseilles

ASIA

Venice
BLACK SEA

Genoa

Constantinople

Rome
Lisbon

Nicaea
Edessa
Antioch
Limasol

ERRA

NEAN

SEA

Tripoli
Damascus
Acre
Jaffa
Jerusalem
Damietta
E

DIT

AL
ES
TIN

AFRICA

ME

FIGURE 2-3 Major Crusades

to the Holy Land. There were
eventually four major Crusades
to the Holy Land. This map
shows the routes travelled by
the Crusaders.

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There were two important results of the Crusades for Europeans:

FIGURE 2-4 Cinnamon came

from China and Burma, cloves and
nutmeg from islands in Indonesia,
and pepper from India. Besides
flavouring food, spices were used
in cosmetics, drugs, and perfumes.
Because there was no deodorant at
this time, perfume was an important item. People did not bathe or
change their clothing regularly.

FIGURE 2-5 The Market

Place was painted by Joachim
Beuckelaer in 1565. How many
different goods can you identify?
42

Unit 1

Renaissance Europe

contact with Muslim civilization

trade.

During this time, the Muslim world was more advanced than
Europe. Because of their travels and contacts, Europeans were exposed
to new ideas about medicine, astronomy, philosophy, mathematics,
and ancient literature. In addition, Muslim societies were inclusive
and welcomed the contributions of Christian and Jewish scholars.
These ideas resulted in advances in learning, which you will read
about in Chapters 3 and 4.
The Crusaders brought back to Europe many new goods, including
oil, spices, and new varieties of fruit from the Muslim world. Europeans
wanted more of these goods. This led to increased trade between
Europe and the East.

Goods From the East

Do you ever think about how many of the foods and other goods in
your daily life come from other countries? Imagine how different your
life would be without international trade. Many of the goods that
Italian merchants began to bring in by sea after the Crusades were luxury goods that were not available in Europe. They included precious
jewels, rugs, and fabrics like silk, muslin, taffeta, and satin.

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Among the most sought after and valuable trade goods, however,
were spices. Spices improved the taste of Europeans food. Pepper was
so valuable that sellers counted it out peppercorn by peppercorn and it
was worth more than its weight in gold.
When ships loaded with luxury goods and spices returned to seaports like Genoa and Venice, merchants from Italy and across northern
Europe flocked to buy the valuable cargoes. They then took the goods
to sell in other cities and trading centres.

Moving Goods and Resources

How is grain transported across Canada today? How does gas get to
consumers? If you were importing cut flowers from South America,
what means of transportation would you choose? How are canned
goods moved from the factory to your local supermarket?
Today we have many different ways of moving goods and
resources. Long ago, options were far more limited. Goods were moved,
often at enormous expense, to market towns on ships along the coast,
on boats along the rivers, or overland by horse, mule, or ox.
During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, there was a great
deal of trade within Europe for local resources and goods as well as
luxury goods from the East. Areas rich in resources like minerals (salt,
iron, copper, lead, and precious metals), timber, fur, and fish exchanged
these for cloth and manufactured goods produced in other areas. Some
regions grew surpluses of grain or produced wine and olive oil which
they exported. Sheep-rearing areas shipped their raw wool to clothmaking areas in exchange for other resources and goods. German and
Dutch ships from northern Europe as well as ships from Genoa and
Venice in the Mediterranean were most actively involved in trade.
When French explorer Jacques Cartier arrived in Canada in 1534
he found that the First Nations people were eager to trade furs for
knives and iron. Trade was important in the relations among various
First Nations people. As in Europe, there was a vast network of trade
routes across North America that linked peoples and allowed for the
exchange of goods. Most trade routes developed along rivers, lakes,
and coastlines.
For example, Cree Burn Lake, in northeastern Alberta was a gathering place for the Plains Cree and Dene. They met there in the summer
for trade, social gatherings, and spiritual ceremonies. The site was popular with other First Nations peoples as well because of the tar sands
which they used to repair their canoes. First Nations peoples still use
Cree Burn Lake as a gathering place.

FIGURE 2-6 Salt, used to

preserve fish, was mined underground or produced from sea
water by people in coastal
communities.

FIGURE 2-7 Grain was grown throughout Europe. Some regions could not produce enough for
their population and had to import it from eastern Europe.
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B U I L D I N G YO U R S K I L L S

Asking Geographic Questions

What maps do you use in your daily life?
What skills do you need to read these maps?
There are many different kinds of maps.
The information on maps can be divided into
two broad categories:

physical geography, that is, the features

of the Earths surface

human geography, which is related to

people and their activities

been included? What does the legend tell you

about the map?
Once you are familiar with the content of
the map, you can begin to consider geographic questions, such as, what patterns do
you see? What geographic problems and
issues does the map suggest?
Answer these two geographic questions suggested using information from Figure 2-8.

When you look at a map, the first step is to

gather information from it. Ask yourself
these questions. Why was this map included?
What part of the world does it show? What
type of map is it? What place names have

To what extent was the development of

trade routes in Europe influenced by
large rivers?

How much of European sea-going trade

was controlled by the Italian city-states?

To Iceland
and
Greenland

To China

SE A

Novgorod

Routes controlled
by Italian city-states

TI
C

NORTH
SEA

L
BA

Hamburg

Danzig

London

Other major land

and sea routes

Smolensk

Magdeburg

Oxford

Kiev

Bruges
Cologne

Paris

Cracow

To
China

Augsburg
Vienna

Lyons
Leon
ATLANTIC
OCEAN

Marseilles
Toledo
Lisbon

Bayonne

Milan
Genoa
Pisa

Venice
Bologna
Florence

Naples

To
India

Cordoba
Granada

Antioch

Tunis

ME

AFRICA
0

300

Tripoli

600 km

To
Timbuktu

FIGURE 2-8 Trade Routes in Renaissance Europe

44

Unit 1

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To
India

Constantinople

Rome

Barcelona

Valencia

BLACK SEA

DIT

Damascus
ERR

ANEA

N SEA
Alexandria

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Asking questions that make connections

between maps can also help to give you
geographic insights. Here is a geographic
question suggested by Figures 2-8 and 2-9.
Answer it using information from the maps.

question making connections between

Figure 2-8 or Figure 2-9 and another
map in this chapter or a modern political map of Europe

Use question words and phrases such as

who, what, where, when, why, how, in what
ways, and to what extent to begin your
questions.

How did the Apennines affect the location of trade routes in Italy?

Try It!

2. Exchange questions with a partner and

answer one anothers question. Then discuss your responses together.

Take a look at the maps on these two pages

and discuss them with a partner.
1. Make up geographic questions:
a

question for Figure 2-8

question for Figure 2-9

3. Discuss in a group: What did you learn

about asking geographic questions from
the activity above? Record your ideas and
share them with the class.

question making connections between

Figures 2-8 and 2-9

4. How would access to trade routes give a

competitive advantage to a region?
Whats in a WORD?
A relief map shows the
different heights of land such
as mountains and plains in
an area. These are usually
shown by colour or shading.

r.

P
Da
nube
r.

ne r.

DI

MO

UN

NA

RI

ALP

.
Danube r

BALK
AN MOU
AL
NTAINS
IA
PS RHOD
TI
OPE
N
C
MOU
SE
I
N
TAINS
A
N

DR

AN
GE
AE

S
DU INS
PINNTA
U

MO

IAN

TA
Great
IN
Hungarian
N
A
I
N
A
Plain RANSYLV S

ES

PAT
H

Po r.

Peninsula

ENE

Iberian

e r.
nn

PYR

CAR

r.

Ga
r

E
Bay of
Biscay

Eu

an

Rhin

sh Channel
Engli

300 km

Pl

th

e
op

r r.
pe
Dnie

Nor

re

150

TI
BAL

British
Isles

L oi

SE

NORTH
SEA

ATLANTIC
OCEAN

ai

5000 m
3000
2000
1000
500
200
sea level

Elevation

M
CE ASS
NT IF
RA
L
Rh

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A
SE

A F R I C A

FIGURE 2-9 A Relief

Map of Europe

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

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FAST FORWARD

Canadas International Trade

Country

% Share of
Total Exports

United States

83.9

European Union
(excluding United Kingdom)

5.7

Japan

2.1

United Kingdom

1.9

China

1.6

Examine Figure 2-10. Using the world map on

the inside back cover, locate each of the countries listed. What geographic connections does
Canada have with its top export trading partners?
Visit the Government of Alberta Web site and
identify Albertas top trading partners for these
export industries:

Total of Top 5

95.2

FIGURE 2-10 Canadas Major Trading Partners (Exports)

by Country, 2005. Statistics Canada.

Mining and Energy

Agriculture, Food & Beverages
Manufacturing
Forestry
Chemicals
Machinery
Computer and Electronic Products

Think IT THROUGH
Earlier you considered how important access to
trade routes was to the Italian city-states. How
important do you think access to trade routes is to
Canada today: more important, just as important,
or not important? Explain.

Over to YOU
1. Create a cause-and-effect diagram for the three
factors that you think were most important in the
rise of trade in Europe starting in the 1300s.
Cause 1
Cause 2

Effect
Rise of trade

Cause 3

Effect
Effect

a. Why did geography have such an important effect

on economic relationships during the
Renaissance?
b. Do you think geography is an important factor
today in economic relationships? What other
factors do you think are as important as or more
important than geography? Explain.

46

Unit 1

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2. Determine the location of the five largest cities in

Canada. What geographic features do these cities
have in common with the major cities in
Renaissance Europe?
3. Suppose a European monarch sent you to find a
place to build a new city that would be a centre for
the exchange of goods and ideas.
a. What physical features would you look for?
b. Where in Europe would you choose to build this
city?
c. Give an oral report to the monarch telling your
decision and the thinking behind it. Support your
report with a map showing the location of your
proposed city. (See the Building Your Skills on
Making a Presentation on page 332.)

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The Italian City-States

Renaissance Europe did not look the way Europe does today. Many
countries had very different borders. Others, like Italy, were not yet
countries at all. At the time, most countries were more like kingdoms,
empires, or principalities ruled by monarchs. Italy was a collection of
city-states. A city-state consists of a city that is politically independent
and the rural area around it. This rural area is called the hinterland.

How did increased trade

lead to the emergence of
powerful city-states in
Italy?

EXPLORING SOURCES

Florence, A Prosperous
City-State
How do the painting and quotation illustrate their creators pride
in their city, Florence?
How does the hinterland support
life in Florence?
Identify and explain which geographic features make Florence a
suitable site for a city.

We have around about us thirty thousand estates . . .

yielding us yearly bread and meat, wine and oil, vegetables
and cheese, hay and wool . . . Our beautiful Florence
contains within the city in this present year two hundred
seventy shops belonging to the wool merchants guild,
from whence their wares are sent to Rome and the
Marches, Naples and Sicily, Constantinople and Pera,
Adrianople, Broussa and the whole of Turkey. It contains
also eighty-three rich and splendid warehouses of the silk
merchants guild, and furnishes gold and silver stuffs,
velvet, brocade, damask, taffeta and satin to Rome, Naples,
Catolina, and the whole of Spain, especially Seville, and to
Turkey and Barbary.
Benedetto Dei, a Florentine merchant in Marvin Perry et al.,
Sources of the Western Tradition.

FIGURE 2-11 This view of Florence in 1480 is detail from the Carta della Catena done in 1490.

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The Success of the City-States

Geographic features contributed greatly to the economic success of
Florence. Think about the large cities of Alberta. Why did they develop
where they did? What factors made them prosper?
Dozens of city-states grew up across the northern half of Italy. They
were in the right place at the right time to become the wealthiest
cities of Europe. Aspects of their geography, climate, leadership, and
social organization help to account for their success.
Whats in a WORD?
The word geography comes
from the Greek words that
mean Earth and writing.

1. Geography. Of all Europe, Italy was closest to the port cities of

northern Africa and the eastern Mediterranean Sea where spices
and other luxury goods were available for trade. As a result, transporting these goods by sea was easier and cheaper for traders in
Italian cities than for those of other European countries.
2. Climate. The climate of Italy is milder than the climate in the
European countries north of the Alps. This meant that trade and
travel were not interrupted by winter weather. The long growing
season produced crops like olives and grapes important trade
items. Wine made by fermenting grapes was a popular drink across
Europe; oil pressed from olives was used for cooking.

P
M
LO
DO

Milan

APEN

Venice
Mantua

Po r.

Avignon

ES
IT

NINE

Genoa

S
Florence

Pisa
Arno r.
Assisi

ber r.
Ti

Siena

CORSICA

ADRIATIC
SEA

Rome

Naples

SARDINIA

TYRRHENIAN
SEA

IONIAN

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

ISLANDS
SICILY

FIGURE 2-12 The City-States of

Renaissance Italy How does the
physical geography of Italy explain
where cities developed? Consider
factors such as rivers, mountains,
and bays.
48

Unit 1

Renaissance Europe

100

200 km

Dutchy of Milan

Papal States

Lucca

Mantua

Duchy of Savoy

Venetian Republic

Modena

Cities

Republic of Genoa

Republic of Siena

Ferrara

Republic of Florence

Monferrato

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

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3. Leadership. Northern Italy had a different history from the rest of

Europe. In pre-modern Europe, most countries were monarchies,
that is, ruled by a king or queen. Northern Italy, on the other hand,
was a collection of independent city-states. They had their own
governments, armies, and controlled their own affairs. The citystates of Venice, Milan, Florence, and Genoa grew into the wealthiest trading, business, and banking centres of Europe.
4. Social Organization. Feudalism did not have nearly as strong a
hold in Italy as it did in the rest of Europe. In Italy, the nobles
tended to move into the towns, where they took their place in the
upper classes of urban society. Many of them became involved in
business and politics.

Think IT THROUGH

Competition for Trade

Because the city-states all wanted to expand their trade and business,
there was rivalry among them. For example, Genoa and Venice competed for control of the sea routes in the Mediterranean.
The city of Venice was founded in Roman times on a group of
islands in a protected harbour. It was a site that was easily defended
from invasion. Over hundreds of years the city became a great trading
centre as a result of its dealings with the East. At the height of its
power, Venetian merchants had thousands of ships travelling throughout the Mediterranean Sea and eventually along the Atlantic coast to
ports in northern Europe. The Venice Arsenal became the largest shipbuilding centre in Europe. Between two and three thousand workers
were employed there.

Feudalism was a lesspowerful institution in Italy.

Use the elements in the
worldview icon to consider
in what ways this might
have affected the worldview
of the people living in the
city-states.

EXPLORING SOURCES

Venices Success
The Venetian Marino Sanuto
described his city as follows
in his diary:
Identify parts of Sanutos
diary entry that reflect the
prosperity of Venice.
How did trade contribute
to the quality of life of
Venetians?

In this land, where nothing grows, you will find an abundance

of everything; for all manner of things from every corner and
country of the earth which had stuff to send, especially food,
are brought to this place; and there are plenty to buy, since
everyone had money. The Rialto [market] looks like a garden,
such a wealth there is of herbs and vegetables from the places
nearby, such an endless variety of fruits and all so cheap, that it
is wonderful to see.

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FIGURE 2-13 The Battle of

Chioggia was painted by an
unknown artist in the 1400s.
Venetian warships battled a fleet
from Genoa. Notice that the ships
are not under sail but are being
powered by rowers. What might
be the advantage of this strategy?

FYI
The Italian city-states all wanted
to expand their hinterland
territory. This competition led to
frequent warfare among them.

Genoa, the other great maritime power in Italy, controlled a share of

the trade in the eastern Mediterranean and also had ports in the Black
Sea. In the western Mediterranean, Genoa controlled trade with the
Spanish ports of Barcelona and Valencia. For centuries, Genoa and
Venice were on equal terms. However, after the Genoese fleet was
destroyed in a naval battle with Venice in 1380, Genoa never regained
its former power.

Commerce in the City-States

The members of the Polo family were merchants.
Merchants made money by purchasing goods in one
place and then selling them for a higher price in
another place. As well as dealing with goods such as
spices and luxury fabrics that were ready for the marketplace, merchants also bought and sold resources that
needed to be manufactured into goods. For example,
they bought raw wool that would be made into cloth.

FIGURE 2-14 July (Spinning and Weaving) was painted by Leandro

Bassano between 1595 and 1600.
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VOICES
Doing Business
The purpose of every business is to make money; otherwise the business will fail. But there are many ways for
a company or business to operate. Here are some
questions you can ask about the way a business is run:
How much profit does the business make? For
example, some garments cost very little to
produce but they are sold at high prices.
What are working conditions like for the employees?
For example, some companies provide incentives
for employees to take business-related courses.
How much do people in the company earn? For
example, the chief executive officer (CEO) of a
large corporation may earn in a week what a
worker earns in a year.
How might the answers to these questions affect
the choices you make as a consumer?

Different Perspectives on Business

At the beginning of the Middle Ages there was very
little business. But as trade grew, new relationships
developed among merchants, traders, workers, and
consumers.
Here is a business model that became common
during the course of the Middle Ages.

Business Model A
The masters of the wool guild get together and buy
raw wool from a merchant.
Each master brings raw wool to his workshop, where
it is washed, combed, carded, spun, and then
woven into cloth by his journeymen and apprentices. The cloth is then dressed, dyed, and cut.
The master pays his workers according to
Christian principles: wages high enough to support
their families in a way that is appropriate to their
social position.

The master sells the cloth in his shop or to a merchant who takes the goods to a market. The
Church teaches that the price charged for goods
should be just, that is, an amount that is fair for
the seller but not enough to make a large profit.
The master and merchant see business as a way
of making a living, not as a way to get rich.
Beginning in the late Middle Ages, a new business
model began to develop as manufacturing grew.

Business Model B
A merchant imports a large amount of raw wool
and distributes it to many shops and homes for
processing. Each step of the cloth-making process
is done in a different location by different workers.
Some of these workers are members of a guild
and some of them are not. Throughout, the
merchant keeps ownership of the wool.
The merchants goal is to make a high profit. The
less he pays his workers and the higher the price
he charges for the finished cloth, the more profit
he makes.
The merchant uses some of his profit to expand
his business and make even more profit.
Adapted from Renaissance Europe
by De Lamar Jensen.

Think IT THROUGH
1. In which business model would you rather be a
worker? Why?
2. Which model do you think would lead to the
growth of trade and business? Why?
3. What values does each model reflect?
4. Which of these business models do you think is
generally followed in our society today? Explain
your answer.

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S K I L L P OW E R
Why do we study the
past? One reason is that
it helps us to understand our own time.
Making connections
between events in the
past and the present is
part of that process.
How does knowing
a little bit about the
history of the ciompi
contribute to your
thinking about
unions today?
Find another place
in this chapter
where you can
make a connection
to the present or to
your own life and
share your thinking.

FIGURE 2-15 The Money Lender

and his Wife was painted in 1514
by Quentin Metsys. How has the
artist shown the wealth of the
money lender? What does the
artist suggest about the wifes
worldview by showing her turning
away from the religious book in her
hand to look at the money?
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Unit 1

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In Chapter 1, you read that some peasants in England and France

revolted against unfair treatment by the nobles. In Florence, there was a
revolt led by the ciompi or wool carders. Because of the Black Death,
the economy was weakened. There was high unemployment among
workers, like the ciompi, who did not belong to guilds. The ciompi
wanted to form their own guild but this request was denied by the
large guilds and by the government, which was run by wealthy merchants. The ciompi called for an uprising of the lower classes. They
briefly took over the government of Florence, but they were eventually
defeated by the powerful guilds.

Making Money With Money

The bankers as well as the merchants of the city-states brought wealth
to their cities. Florentine bankers established banking houses across
Europe. Florences economy became so powerful that its golden
florin became the most important currency in Europe during the
course of the Renaissance.
Usury, the practice of charging interest when loaning money to
someone, played an important part in creating wealth. During the
Middle Ages, the Church considered usury sinful. However, the
growth of international trade required large investments of money that
would be tied up for many years. To encourage investment in international trade, the Church began to allow charging interest for loans that
involved risk. These included financing trading voyages where there
was danger of shipwreck or robbery by pirates. Over time, Italian
bankers introduced new practices that helped to make trade and business between countries easier.

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Business Practice

Purpose

Partnerships and Joint Stock Company

Used to raise capital (money) for larger projects. Less financial risk to the
individual.

Banks

Provided money-lending services as well as issuing Bills of Exchange.

Bills of Exchange

Worked like modern chequing account. Merchant would deposit gold and
receive a Bill of Exchange. Could then turn that in for gold at other banks.
Easier and safer than carrying gold along trade routes.

Insurance

Paid a small fee to insure goods during travel. If goods were damaged or
lost, insurance company pays replacement costs. If goods arrive safely,
insurance company keeps the fee.
Oswego City School District, Regents Exam Prep Centre.

Politics within the city-states was affected by the changing economy. Nobles, bankers, the new wealthy merchant families, and the
numerous small merchants, shopkeepers, and craftspeople all wanted
political power. The merchants and bankers realized that the constant
struggles and warfare interfered with their ability to trade and do business. As a result, they began to support strong leaders who could
promise them stability.
Florence competed with other city-states in banking. Italian and
European bankers and merchants travelled around Europe on business.
This exposed other Europeans to the lifestyle of the Italians who had
more contact with the world outside Europe. Wealthy Europeans,
artists, and scholars visited Italy and were impressed with the beautiful
cities and the sophistication of the Italians. They spread Italian values
and ideas across Europe.

LINK UP
In Chapter 4 you will read ideas
about political leadership that
were developed by Renaissance
thinkers.

EXPLORING SOURCES

The Nuu-chah-nulth
The Nuu-chah-nulth band (pronounced
Noo-cha-nulth) consists of 15 separate
but related First Nations whose traditional
home is the western coast of Vancouver
Island. Here is how Chief Maquinna
described their banks:

Once I was in Victoria, and I saw a very large house.

They told me it was a bank and that the white men
place their money there...and that by and by they get it
back with interest. We are Indians and we have no
such bank; but when we have plenty of money or
blankets, we give them away to other chiefs...and our
hearts feel good. Our way of giving is our bank.

What does Chief Maquinnas quotation

reveal about the Nuu-chah-nulth
worldview?

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The Medici Family

The Medici family was the most famous and powerful family in Italy. They were an important part of
Florences cultural and political life for more than
300 years.
The family made a fortune as wool and silk
merchants and bankers. They built alliances with
other wealthy families, acquired important positions in the Church, and married into Europes
royal families. By 1434, Cosimo de Medici was
powerful enough to take control of Florence.
Because Florence was a republic, that is, a state
in which power is held by the people, Cosimo
could not openly declare himself head of the government. Instead, he used his wealth to buy support and to have his enemies exiled from the city.
Under his leadership, Florence attacked neighbouring city-states, such as Siena, and made
alliances with others, such as Milan. Although
Cosimo could be quite ruthless in political matters,
he also had a real interest in the arts. He began
the Medici tradition of helping promising artists.
Like many leading families, the Medici made
many enemies. In 1494, important family members were exiled from Florence and not allowed to
return for many years.
The most famous Medici was Cosimos grandson, who was known as Lorenzo the Magnificent.
He was also a patron of art and literature. He
sponsored Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da
Vinci, and other great artists and thinkers that you
will be reading about in the next two chapters.

FIGURE 2-16 This portrait, titled Lorenzo de Medici The

Magnificant, was painted by Giorgio Vasari in the 1500s.
Lorenzo de Medici was a ruler and a poet. What aspects of his
character has the artist emphasized in this portrait?

1478 Giuliano stabbed to death

1503 Piero the Unfortunate drowned in a
shipwreck

1526 Giovanni delle Barde Nere shot and

killed attacking the city-state of
Mantua

1535 Ippolito poisoned by order of his

Consider why so many Medici met violent

deaths, some engineered by other members of
their own family.
Which factors in the worldviews icon explain the
success of the Medici family?
In what ways did the economic power of the
Medici affect their role as citizens of Florence?

cousin

1537 Alessandro assassinated by his cousin

Lorenzino

1547 Lorenzino assassinated by order of his

cousin Cosimo I

1576 Isabella, daughter of Cosimo strangled

in bed by her husband
FIGURE 2-17 Deaths in the Medici Family

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FAST FORWARD

Wealth and Responsibility

Who are the wealthiest people you know of?
How did they make their money? To what extent
do you think that great wealth also brings with
it responsibilities?
Kenneth Thomson was the wealthiest man in
Canada and ninth in the world before his death in
2006. Bill Gates is the wealthiest man in the
United States; at one time his wealth topped
$100 billion. Both Thomson and Gates have given
large amounts of their fortunes away. For example,
Thomson donated many millions of dollars as well
as paintings and sculptures to the Art Gallery of
Ontario. Gates and his wife started the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and through it have
given billions of dollars to improving health care in
Africa, among other causes.

And what about the charitable donations of

ordinary Canadians? Statistics Canada reports that
about one-quarter of Canadians filing tax returns
made charitable donations. In 2004, the latest
year for which statistics are available, Canadians
reported donations of more than $6.9 billion.

Think IT THROUGH
1. Do you think that people who make large fortunes
have a responsibility to support charitable causes
or events? Explain your thinking.
2. How important is giving to charity in your
worldview?

FIGURE 2-18 Melinda Gates, Dr. F. Xavier

Gomez-Olive, and Bill Gates, holding a baby,
are taking part in a malaria intervention treatment program in Mozambique, Africa.

Economics and Citizenship

The economy went into a depression in the years after the Black Death.
In Italy the slump was not fully over until the early 1500s. But merchants and bankers continued to grow wealthier through trade and
commerce. One historian, Robert Sabatino Lopez, has argued that the
depression caused the growth of culture and art in Italy that you will
be reading about in the next chapter. According to Lopez, wealthy
people spent money on the arts because there were few good business
opportunities around. Wealthy citizens also contributed heavily to the
beautification of their cities. This, it was believed, encouraged feelings
of loyalty and pride in the general public.
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Over to YOU
1. a. Make a copy of the graphic organizer below and
complete it to show how trade led to wealth and
power in the city-states of Italy. Add as many
circles as you need to the web.

b. In small groups, brainstorm the values of

Business Model A and the values that exist in our
economic system. Show the results of your
discussion using presentation technology.
4. Have a class discussion on the following questions:

Power

Wealth

Trade

Do you think a societys way of doing business

affects its values and attitudes?
How are the lives of people affected by
different ways of doing business?
If you were a businessperson, under what
values would you operate your company?

b. Compare how places get wealth and power today

with your Renaissance web.
2. Use a cyclic graphic organizer like the one below to
explain how trade led to wealth which in turn led to
more trade. (Hint: See the Voices box on p. 51).

Event 1

Event 4

Event 2
Event 3

3. a. Refer back to the Voices feature on page 51.

Create a T-chart to examine how each model
benefits and harms:
the worker
the master/merchant
the consumer
Create an illustration about one of the models
through the eyes of a worker and through the eyes
of the master/merchant.

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Unit 1

Renaissance Europe

Before the discussion make notes outlining your

ideas and the evidence you will use to support
them. Use the critical thinking checklist on page 9
to help you organize your response.
5. Conduct in-depth research on the Internet on
Renaissance Venice or Florence. Design a brochure
to promote one of these cities to European
merchants as a good place to open a business.
Include a map that shows the geographic
advantages of this city.
6. Select a company in the fast food, retail
department store, or clothing sales business.
Research how that company has resisted attempts
by workers to gain power through unions. Use this
information to explore the issue: What actions
should workers be allowed in order to gain power in
the workplace?

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Explore the Big Ideas

Beginning in the later Middle Ages, trade expanded among the countries of Europe.
The city-states of Italy flourished because they were located near the Mediterranean
Sea and connected to the trading routes of Asia. The exchange of goods would eventually lead to an exchange of values, attitudes, and knowledge.
1. Complete the organizer below to help you identify ways that increased trade and business
affected worldview in Renaissance Europe.
To what extent did the following factors affect the
Renaissance worldview?

Result

1. Increased trade and contact with the East

2. Increased trade within Europe
3. Competition among the Italian city-states for power
4. Changing business practices and a focus on wealth
a. With a partner role-play a conversation between two business people, one from the
Renaissance and one from today, in which you discuss the similarities in your attitude
toward trade and business.
b. Then role-play a conversation between two workers in which you discuss wages and
working conditions.
c. How did your role-plays contribute to your thinking about business practices and
accumulating wealth?

2. A trading ship has just arrived in

the Italian port of Genoa loaded
with goods from the East. Write a
diary account of this event from
the point of view of a curious
visitor from a small town in the
Alps. Keep in mind that the writer
comes from a different geographic
setting and thus has different
experiences and a different
worldview from people in Genoa.
3. a. Review the chapter and make a
list of all of the geographic
features that contributed to
making Italy the centre of
change in Europe.

b. Rank these from most to least

important. Explain your
ranking.
4. Collect articles about trade and
business from newspapers and
magazines over the period of a
week. Choose the three articles
you find the most interesting and
make an oral presentation to a
group in which you present what
aspect of trade each article
covers. Prepare a question for
each article to present to the
group for discussion.
5. Create a collage of words and
images that reflects your thinking

about the effects of trade in

todays world. Consider some of
the following factors in your
thinking about trade:
- How trade affects the lifestyle of
Canadians.
- The effect Canadas export of
resources has had on the environment of Canada.
- How trade affects the identity of
people around the world.
- The effect free trade has on people in those countries.
Give your collage a title that
reflects the point of view you are
communicating.

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57