Section 3 — Guilds

Section 3 — Guilds

Medieval towns began as centers for trade, but they soon became places where many goods were  produced, as well. Both trade and the production of goods were overseen by organizations called  guilds.

Multiple Choice

Medieval towns began as centers for trade, but they soon became places where many _______ were produced,

• heros

• goods

guild:

an organization of people in the same craft or trade

There were two main kinds of guilds: merchant guilds and craft guilds. All types of craftspeople  had their own guilds, from cloth makers to cobblers (who made shoes, belts, and other leather  goods), to the stonemasons who built the great cathedrals. 

Multiple Choice

How many types of guilds were there?

• 1

• 2

Guilds provided help and protection for the people doing a certain kind of work, and they  maintained high standards. Guilds controlled the hours of work and set prices. They also dealt  with complaints from the public. If, for example, a coal merchant cheated a customer, all coal  merchants might look bad. The guilds therefore punished members who cheated.

Multiple Choice

What happened to members who cheated?

• They were let go free

• They got punished

Guild members paid dues to their guild. Their dues paid for the construction of guildhalls and for  guild fairs and festivals. Guilds also used the money to take care of members and their families  who were sick and unable to work.  

It was not easy to become a member of a guild. Starting around age 12, a boy, and sometimes a  girl, became an apprentice. An apprentice’s parents signed an agreement with a master of the trade.  The master agreed to house, feed, and train the apprentice. Sometimes, but not always, the  parents paid the master a sum of money. Apprentices rarely got paid for their work

apprentice

a person who works for a master in a trade or craft  in return for training

At the end of seven years, apprentices had to prove to the guild that they had mastered their  trade. To do this, an apprentice produced a piece of work called a “master piece.” If the guild  approved of the work, the apprentice was given the right to become a master and set up his or her  own business. Setting up a business was expensive, however, and few people could afford to do  it right away. Often they became journeymen instead. The word journeyman does not refer to a  journey. It comes from the French word journee, for “day.” A journeyman was a craftsperson  who found work “by the day,” instead of becoming a master who employed other workers. 

Multiple Choice

Guild -

• an organization of people in the same craft or trade

• a person who works for a master in a trade or craft in return for training

Multiple Choice

Apprentice

• an organization of people in the same craft or trade

• a person who works for a master in a trade or craft in return for training

Multiple Choice

After how many years did an apprentice have to prove they mastered their trade?

• 5

• 7

• 10