Craft guilds operated in many sectors of the economy. Members of these guilds typically owned and operated small businesses or family workshops within the city. In many cases, they evolved into, or became inextricably intertwined with, the governments of their home towns.Ĭraft guilds were organized for particular trades. The largest and most influential merchant guilds participated in international commerce and politics, and established colonies in foreign cities. Merchant guilds were organizations of merchants. They were involved in long-distance commerce and local wholesale trade they may also have been retail sellers of commodities in their home cities where they possessed rights to set up shop. These skilled men came together and formed associations to protect their trade and their rights, and thus, medieval guilds enter the stage. Due to this influx of raw materials from the manors and all over the world, towns became manufacturing centres which all kinds of artisans and craftsmen called home. However, as the world emerged slowly from the dark ages and trade became once again a major economic force, towns were chartered as locations where people could exchange goods. The agrarian manorialism system was an effective way to manage the land and its people by creating self-sufficient units (manors) controlled by one person (the Lord of the Manor), who would have a direct relationship with his lord (Knight, Baron, Earl, Duke etc). Manorialism, amongst other things, was the result of the inability of high lords (like kings and dukes) to directly control their holdings. From manorialism to medieval guilds, traders and cities

Middle ages towns and guilds for kids