BEFORE YOU WATCH: Guilds, Wool, and Trade: Medieval England in a Global Economy

Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.

Before you watch

Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch.

While you watch

How do Nick and Trevor describe the Afro-Eurasian trade system in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?
Why did people in Flanders and northern Italy buy English wool?
Who produced wool in England?
How did the wool trade empower the merchant classes? What role did guilds play in this process?
Why was wool important for England?

After you watch

To what extent does this article support your understanding of the causes and effects of the growth of networks of exchange after 1200?
English wool is one example of a local good that was traded across extensive regional networks. The trade reshaped both economic systems as well as governance in England and across Western Europe. Can you think of anything that is or was once made in your community? Where does that good get distributed? Who produces it? How does that industry affect your community, and how do you think it impacts other places?
Think about how you might tell the story of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen differently through the lens of different AP themes. How were they a community? What impacts did they have on economic systems in England and the larger region?

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch. Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.

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