6.2 Autonomous citizens

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 1

6.2 Autonomous citizens 

What was last lesson about?

6.2 - autonomous citizens 

1. You know what caused urbanization 

2. You know in what ways Holland became important.

3. You know how cities received city rights.

4. You know how citizens governed their towns.

5. You know how cities became more independent and low nobles lost power.

6. The rise of the urban bourgeoisie and the increasing independence of cities.

1. Urbanisation=Verstedelijking

1. From the year 1000, farmers began draining swamps and cutting down forests ->ontginning

2. Improvement of farming techniques -> e.g. the reversible plough, the neck yoke and manure

Consequence: agriculture brings in more revenue -> people live longer and healthier -> population can grow (doubled by 1300)

Consequence: trade increases

Indirect effect: home industry (nijverheid)  increases (part of the population can take on other work)

Market places grow into cities (urbanization). Urbanization is most rapid in northern Italy, Flanders and Holland.

An agrarian-urban society arises again!

What caused urbanisation in the late middle ages?

2. Holland becomes important

The area that is now the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg was then 

(17 regions, counties and dukedoms)

Holland was one of the most important regions and expanded the area considerably.

Floris V had the Knights' Hall built.

In 1296 he was murdered by nobles, because he would have too much power.

Why did the Hague become the centre of politics in Holland?

3. City Rights= Stadsrechten

Floris gave certain groups (peasants and citizens) rights to keep the people happy.

City rights (privilege of a city)

- Right to collect taxes

- Rights to build a city wall

- Market right

- Right to collect tolls

- Own jurisdiction

 Dordrecht was the first city with city rights in 1220. Amsterdam, for example, in 1275. Wijk bij Duurstede in 1300. 

Answer the following question

  Was the murder of Floris V a political assassination?

Watch the video on the next slide and formulate an answer to the above question.

Political murder? Answer in a full sentence

4.City Government 

'City air makes free': serfs lost rights and duties when they moved to the city

Lords gave more rights to peasants to keep them there, so serfdom disappeared in many places in Europe

A person could become a citizen in a city after a year and a day. In addition, they had to work and pay a sum of money->citizenship (= the common citizens)

The aldermen took care of the administration and the administration of justice and they made labels (laws). The lord also had a representative, namely the bailiff/schout. The mayor was the highest city administrator. Mayors were controlled by a vroedschap.

Criminals were mainly punished with fines, the pillory, or with the deathblow. A confession was considered guilty (often a confession was made after torture).

5. Cities and Nobility

Cities paid money for city rights to (high) nobles and princes.

In addition, high nobles and princes received (military) support from cities in their struggle against the low nobles.

But cities became more and more independent and even more powerful than the lord.

Hanze

• Hanze = group
• Merchants started to coöperate 
  
• Advanatages: safer travelling,  veiliger reizen, joint purchasing, countering competition.

6.2 - autonomous citizens 

1. You know what caused urbanization 

2. You know in what ways Holland became important.

3. You know how cities received city rights.

4. You know how citizens governed their towns.

5. You know how cities became more independent and low nobles lost power.

6. The rise of the urban bourgeoisie and the increasing independence of cities.