Medieval Guilds in Europe

Study Notes

Guilds originated in Europe during the Middle Ages as associations of individuals with the same trade or profession.
Guilds were formed for mutual aid, protection, and collective benefit of their members.
There were two main types of guilds: merchant guilds and craft guilds.

Merchant guilds comprised storekeepers, merchants, and builders engaged in trade within towns and neighboring villages.
Craft guilds consisted of masters, journeymen, and apprentices involved in crafts such as shoemaking, weaving, and baking.

Guilds were chartered by town governments or kings to regulate apprenticeship rules, quality standards, prices, and working conditions.
Guilds maintained a monopoly over their respective trades and had control over member selection, training, compensation, and development.

Apprentices enter into agreements with master craftsmen for training, providing food, clothing, lodging, and sometimes schooling.
Apprenticeship duration ranges from four to ten years, depending on the trade.
After completing apprenticeship, individuals become artisans or journeymen, skilled in the trade and able to work independently or for a wage.
The ultimate goal is for journeymen to establish their own shops and become master craftsmen.

The industrial revolution began with the introduction of the factory system during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The industrial revolution brought radical changes to production, distribution, and societal structures.
Labor was initially viewed as a commodity subject to supply and demand principles.
Workers were considered parts of machines, leading to the perception of labor as an operating organism capable of generating output.

Mechanical inventions like the power loom, steam engine, and spinning jenny facilitated large-scale production, leading to the establishment of factories and the decline of small home shops.
Factories attracted rural workers to urban areas, causing social and psychological challenges due to increased population concentration.
Standardized production methods in factories reduced costs and opened new markets, driving the need for more factories and increased production.

Industrial growth created industrial centers, leading to social problems such as group relationships, adjustment issues, and tolerance challenges.
Varied workers' backgrounds in industrial areas intensified social and economic issues like low wages, long working hours, and poor working conditions.
Abuses by factory owners and foremen led to industrial disputes, prompting workers to organize into labor unions to demand better rights and benefits.