History 2401E Lecture 9: Lecture 9 Merchant Guilds
19 Feb 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Lecture 9 merchant guilds: social context in which merchant guilds develop. Merchants had no way to ensure safety of goods or themselves. No centralized state no military or political aid from home country that you can expect today. Structure and operation of guilds overcame problems facing those interested in long distance trade; hanseatic league; commercial boycotts; embargos. 10th or 11th century, specific to middle ages. Craft guilds had predecessors in the roman empire. Seemed to be organizations of travelling merchant, went together to provide mutual military protection on long distance voyages. Also split cost of mercenaries for protection. Hanses seemed to seek collective trade for members at home or abroad they sought monopoly privileges for members over either supply, distribution, imports/exports this is another form of insurance. Economic purpose: sought to insure trade, members are guarantors for one another, promise to pay for goods was levied on the entire guild.
