Economics of History Activity New Ideas 1400–1750 Lesson 1 The Renaissance Begins The Role of Guilds 1. Explaining What role did guilds play in the government of a city-state? Directions Answer the following questions. Background Information Italian city-states grew because of their wealth. City-states such as Florence and Venice gained their riches through trade. Merchants and craftsmen developed and expanded their businesses through associations called guilds. During the Renaissance, guilds became powerful organizations that played an important role in the economy and government of the city-states. The government of Florence included representatives from the city-states’ seven major guilds. These guilds were: judges; bankers and cloth traders; money changers; silk merchants; doctors; wool merchants; and fur dealers. In addition to the major guilds, the city had five less important guilds. They were butchers, shoemakers, smiths, stonemasons, and secondhand dealers. In Florence and other city-states, powerful guild leaders elected the people who served in government positions. Guilds elected leaders who supported their economic policies. Because of their power, guilds could control how food, cloth, and other goods were sold and priced. They could create a monopoly, a market where there is only one seller of a good. In establishing a monopoly, the guilds prevented outside merchants from trading in their area. In addition, the guilds could force foreign merchants to pay a fee to enter the market. Young people during the Renaissance could gain their education through guilds. A young boy would live with a master as an apprentice who learned a trade or craft. In exchange for his training, the apprentice worked without being paid for his labor. After serving for several years, an apprentice became a journeyman, or a craftsman who could work for wages. Guilds controlled the practice of apprenticeships and all other elements of their profession. Guild courts and officials could investigate questions of poor workmanship or other problems. They punished members who did not follow the proper rules and standards by requiring them to pay a fine.

Question

Micah
C o p y r ig h t©M c G r a w -H illE d u c a t io n . P e r m is s io n is g r a n t e dt or e p r o d u c ef o r c la s s r o o mu s e . NAME DATE CLASS New Ideas 1400–1750 Economics of History Activity Cont. 2. Defining What is a monopoly? 3. Describing How did guilds train young people to learn crafts? Critical Thinking 4. Analyzing Why would guilds want to create a monopoly for the goods they produced? 5. Making Inferences What do the types of major guilds reveal about the nature of businesses in Renaissance Florence?

answer like a 12 year old with no puctoation in one sentence for every question

Answer 1

1 Guilds played a big role in the government of a city-state by having representatives in the government who made decisions based on the interests of the guilds.
2 A monopoly is when there is only one seller of a good or service in a market.
3 Guilds trained young people to learn crafts by having them live with a master as apprentices where they learned skills in exchange for working without pay.
4 Guilds would want to create a monopoly for the goods they produced to control the market and make more money by limiting competition.
5 The types of major guilds show that businesses in Renaissance Florence were focused on important trades like banking cloth and food which were essential for the economy.