The serfs were free, but where could they go? Some stayed
on the land and worked for the nobles for payment. If a crusade was being
organized, they could join the army. Most new freemen moved to the rapidly
growing towns in search of work.
Rise of
Towns: The number of towns in Western Europe grew
rapidly. Many sprang up along the sides of the road on the trading routes. War
between barbarian tribes had declined, but there were many bandits.
Townspeople built walls around the town to protect themselves. The
number of towns in Western Europe grew rapidly. Many sprang up along the sides
of the road on the trading routes. War between barbarian tribes had declined,
but there were many bandits. Townspeople built walls around the town to
protect themselves.
Early Town
Life: Inside the wall, there were narrow winding streets, and horse
drawn carts piled high with goods to trade. Along each narrow street, there
were little shops. Store owners lived above their shops. Shops were made of
wood with thatched roofs. Fire was a constant worry.
In the beginning, people who lived in town were not that
cramped. Towns were more of a grouping of traders, each with a permanent shops
- traders that had banded together to protect themselves from outside attack.
There were some inns to house travelers, and some stables to take care of the
horses, and maybe a doctor or two. But towns were small.
As more and more people moved to the towns, the towns
grew in size. Things were not as organized. Towns began to stink. There was no
plumbing in the towns. Garbage and sewage was tossed into the street. The only
people who cleaned up and burned the garbage were the shop owners in the area
who needed to keep the streets somewhat passable so that people could come to
their shops. Much of the garbage stayed in the streets until it rotted. People
got sick all the time.
The living conditions were horrible. Unless you had a
shop of your own, with customers that paid their bills, you either worked for
someone in exchange for food and shelter, or you begged. In spite of the
conditions, more and more people arrived in the towns, eager to escape their
life as serfs on the manors.
