From the 11th century onward, feudalism had a
stranglehold on the island kingdom
of England. As the norm
of the land for hundreds of years, it seemed there was no foreseeable end to
it, until the middle of the 14th century. As the adage goes, things
had to get worse to get better, and after a series of calamities, England faced
the downfall of feudalism and a century of prosperity. This begs the question,
however, of why the catastrophes helped? What was so terrible that it changed
the very foundation of the government, or did the power really shift much at
all? And what effect did these events have on the common man?
Feudalism in England was officially introduced
in 1066 with the Norman Conquest, though elements of it had been present in
feudalism gained prominence in the 9th century. It was a harsh
system, with a rigid class-based structure that allowed for little to no upward
mobility. If one was born into serfdom, there was next to no opportunities to
advance, being stuck in a state that was often considered worse than slavery.
Lords, barons, or other nobility were the only major landholders, with life
being entirely dependent on the success of the lord's manor. This way of life
began to crumble, however, after the first few survivors of the Crusades
returned. These warriors would regale their fellow townspeople with tales of
far off lands and vast riches, and would eventually inspire trade with faraway
territories. After the Crusades, Venice, Genoa, and other cities along the Mediterranean took a
central role in trade, profiting from dealing in Oriental goods, the growing significance
of banking and, after the fall of their chief competition – the Byzantine Empire – their newfound monopoly. (Felsch,
2013) This expansion of trade trickled its way up to northern Europe, and by
the 15th century, had permeated the economy of England.
The population of England had been falling since the
14th century, however, and many historians believe it continued to
fall until 1450-70. (Muhlberger, 2003) A major part of this decline was due to
something known as the Black Death, lasting roughly from 1347-1351, though
remnants could be found well into the 1400's. This was not the only crisis, but
was the one that was engrained in legend. However, with a declining population,
basic foodstuffs – especially grain, normally the main source of income for
farmers – were not in high demand anymore, and consequently drove prices, and
ultimately the farmers' own rent, down to prices never before seen. (Knox,
2013) Manual labor, on the other hand, was at an all-time high in demand. Wages
began to rise, but many local governments attempted to pass laws restricting
them, though such legislation was ineffective. Prices and land both dropped in
price during this rise in wages, allowing much of the peasantry to create what
one might consider a precursor to the middle class, whose rights could be
defended by the king's justice. If they were able to labor, they could eat
rather well, thanks to the new, higher wages earned. (Muhlberger, 2003)
However, this did not necessarily mean the decline of the
landlords. When many serfs and servants became freed tenants, some nobles who
were set in their ways attempted the aforementioned legislation. Others,
however, were more skilled at adaptation, and decided to turn their efforts to
the production of material exports like wool. By doing so, they entered into an
industry that was required less labor, and was vastly more profitable, but
required new techniques to be effective. Enter fenced enclosures, pastures, and
pens, something that had only been seen in limited aspects until now. Barons,
lords, and landowners would convert once-plowed pastures of newly vacant
villages and manors were fenced in and allowed to grow, to be utilized for
sheep runs. (Muhlberger, 2003) Prior to the mid-14th century, the majority
of England's wool was sold
to France, Italy, and the Netherlands, where it was converted
into usable cloth in the larger, industrialized cities. As the century
progressed, taxes on the export of raw wool – imposed to support England's war
effort – encouraged English landlords to send their goods to the local manufacturing
regions, helping it to grow rapidly. (Felsch, 2013)
Unfortunately, it was this very adaptation that spelled
the downfall of the rising middle class, as the economic boom was not to last.
Serfs had enjoyed protection of tenure with their lord. When 15th century
servants gained their personal freedom, that security was retracted, and
suddenly, serfs who had been dependent on their lord for all of their
sustenance were on their own virtually overnight. Most peasants merely had a
lease on the land they occupied. Leases used a leasehold, not unlike modern
lease agreements. The leaseholds would end at a set time, at which point the
landlord could renew it, modify it, or take the land back outright. Because of
this, the newly-freed leaseholders had no long-term security. As the fifteenth
century progressed, leaseholders were not terribly insecure because property
was once again copious. Landlords lost what
influence they had, but by the 16th century, a growing population again made available
property scant. (Knox, 2013)(Muhlberger, 2003)
Overall, the economics of 1400-1500 England was the equivalent of a
medieval roller coaster. The local populace was thrown about like a ragdoll at
times, but those who were able to adapt and overcome weathered the storm best,
regardless of serf, free peasant, or nobleman. Echoes of capitalism were seen,
with the constant rise and fall of supply and demand; and it was here, in the
wake of the Black Death and uncertain economic times, the people got a taste of
their collective power.
References
Felsch, M.,
Astor, E., & Southard, Ü. (2013). Diercke International Atlas
- Trade and economy in the 15th century. Retrieved from http://www.diercke.com/kartenansicht.xtp?artId=978-3-14-100790-9&stichwort=slave&fs=1
Knox, S. (2013). European economy in the Age of
the Reformation. Retrieved from http://europeanhistory.boisestate.edu/reformation/economics/overview.shtml
Muhlberger, S. (2003). ORB: The Online
Reference Book for Medieval Studies. Retrieved from http://www.the-orb.net/textbooks/muhlberger/15c_economy.htmlc
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