GEOG 341 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Economic Geography, Social Order, Bourgeoisie
15 Dec 2016
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The Historical Development of Capitalism –October 12, 2016
• Prior to capitalism in the western world –prevailing economic relations was feudalism
• Feudalism lasted from the 5th to 15th centuries
• Feudalism was based on custom and tradition
• Feudalism was a social order that operated under a system kno as trifutioalit,
where there were three classes of society
o The clergy
o The land owning aristocracy
o The peasats serfs
Feudalism
• From the 12th century on and increasingly important class of urban merchants emerged
alled the Bourgeoisie
• Vast majority of the population were peasants who were agricultural laborers that lived
on land owned by the aristocrats
• Peasants largely kept most of the food. In exchange the peasants would:
o Pay rent in the form of a percentage of the crop they grew
▪ Aristocrats could keep some and sell some for a profit
o Unpaid labor services
o Banal obligations of
▪ Inheritance taxes
▪ Marriage taxes
▪ Milling fees, etc.
• Peasants were not allowed to leave the land
• They had no choice regarding their livelihood
• Social order was not based on contractual relationships but on customs and traditions
and the personal relationships between the land owner and the serf
• Markets did exist under feudalism but they were small and poorly developed. Only the
wealthy had the income to buy goods.
• In the middle ages most people ate a simple diet that was largely lacking in nutritional
value
• Famines were common every few years
• Life expectancy: under 50 years
• From 950-1250, the population grew about 0.4% per year
Feudal towns and Cities
• There were few towns and cities because agricultural productivity rates were low (not
enough food surplus to support large towns)
o Very low diversification within the workforce (no specialization of occupation)
• Cities were small
• Within cities, feudal guilds and artisans produced a variety of goods (mainly for the
wealthy)
• Guilds consisted of skilled workers with years of experience (apprenticeship)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
In exchange the peasants would: pay rent in the form of a percentage of the crop they grew, aristocrats could keep some and sell some for a profit, unpaid labor services, banal obligations of. Only the wealthy had the income to buy goods. In the middle ages most people ate a simple diet that was largely lacking in nutritional value: famines were common every few years, life expectancy: under 50 years, from 950-1250, the population grew about 0. 4% per year. 1381: beginning of the abolishment of serfdom on the land, the plague also had to do with this. The emergence of capitalism from the 15th to 19th century feudalism was gradually replaced by capitalism (but not everywhere like russia) In addition to changing the ruling classes, capitalism changed the nature of the working class: labour itself became a commodity bought and sold for a price (wages) in labour markets.
