Merchants and craftspeople in medieval England
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the reasons for and impact of merchants and craftspeople on medieval England, as well as the experiences of merchants and craftspeople.
Key learning points
- From as early as the Norman conquest, rulers of England looked to grow the economy using European workers.
- Wider events, such as the Black Death, led to a demand for more merchants and craftspeople.
- The actions of rulers throughout the medieval period directly impacted the experiences of merchants and craftspeople.
- Although sometimes welcomed by the authorities, many migrants faced increasing hostility from local merchants.
- Merchants and craftspeople had a significant impact on the economy, especially the wool trade.
Keywords
Low Countries - coastal region of north west Europe, made up of modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
Angevin Empire - territories in England, Wales, Ireland and France held by Henry II and his descendants in the 12th and 13th centuries
Common misconception
All migrants workers settled in England to work in the wool trade.
Not all migrant workers settled in England to work in the wool trade. Italian bankers are an example of a migrant group who were invited to work as moneylenders, and had very little to do with the English wool trade.
Teacher tip
Not all migrant groups need to be shown as having an impact in several different areas of life - sometimes one group works as a strong, detailed example of an impact in one area!
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which keyword describes hatred of or discrimination towards Jewish people?
Q2.Why were Jewish migrants invited to England by Norman rulers?
Q3.Which of the following were examples of discrimination Jewish migrants faced in medieval England?
Q4.Complete the sentence with the correct year: By , the Jewish community had lost all protection that had been offered by the crown.
Q5.Complete the sentence with the correct year: Jewish people were expelled by Edward I in , not to return for nearly 400 years.
Q6.Which of the following are examples of the impact Jewish migrants had on medieval England?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the sentence: The Low Countries are a coastal region of north west , made up of modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Q2.What was the name of the territories in England, Wales, Ireland and France held by Henry II and his descendants in the 12th and 13th centuries?
Q3.Why did the Normans prefer to encourage merchants and craftspeople to migrate to England from the Low Countries instead of using Anglo-Saxon workers?
Q4.Which group was encouraged to migrate to England by Henry III in 1270 so that the cost of shipping the wool to them could be removed?
Q5.Put the following events relating to the way migrant craftspeople and merchants were treated in medieval England in chronological order.
Q6.What was the name of a new type of cloth created by weavers in Colchester, Essex?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Merchants and craftspeople in medieval England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Merchants and craftspeople in medieval England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Migrants in Britain, c800–present unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.