7. National Markets and the Cloth Trade Flashcards
(6 cards)
Why had Britain not got a single national economy in 1625?
Difficulties with communication, along with the absence of strong commercial enterprises meant that regional economic activity was centred around market towns where local produce and livestock was bought and sold. Industrial activity was also regional, linked to areas where raw materials were easily accessible. Manufacturing of goods was not carried out in factories but in houses or outbuildings in rural areas. Often families would all work to produce goods.
How was a national economy established by 1688?
. Better communication - the navigability of many rivers was improved, allowing the speedier movement of goods and by the 1660s new turnpike roads were built.
. Specialisation - As communication improved, regions developed local specialties e.g Wiltshire and cheese making.
. Finance - As a national economy began to take shape, a more sophisticated financial structure began to emerge with the development of banks etc.
. Urban development - In 1625, goods could only be bought from the markets in different towns. By 1688, shops had sprung up across the country, offering a wide range of goods to supply a growing consumer market.
What was the difference in the economies of the 4 Kingdoms?
The creation of a national market and unified economy was limited to England and Wales. Scotland’s agricultural land was not as productive and transport links between Scotland and England were poor. Also, most English politicians showed no interest in Ireland as it had a separate culture, language and religion so it was treated as more of a colonial possession than an equal with the other Kingdoms.
What was the previous system involving the cloth trade?
Cloth was produced in the rural ‘putting out’ system in people’s homes by entire families. This exploited the workers as it involved lower costs for merchants and separated the workers from the guild system, blocking communication between other domestic workers. This meant there was little chance of revolts so merchants were contented and trade was good. This cloth was then sent to the Netherlands to be finished by nappers, dyers and cutters. However, this system was disrupted by the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule.
How did the cloth trade system change?
. English woollen broadcloth was unfashionable as it was cheap and coarse. New draperies were introduced in the 1560s by Dutch immigrants and revived the English textile industry. E.g Mockadoes, bays, shalloons, worsted, bombazines.
. Louis XIV revoked protection to Protestant in France under the Edict of Nantes, resulting in widespread persecution. This meant a large number of Huguenots along with Flemish weavers migrated to England. They were highly skilled, resulting in cloth being finished in England, blends between materials like silk and wool. Also, smaller Dutch looms were making more delicate items exactly when Italian and French intricate fashions were popular. By 1585, there were 13,000 migrants in the cloth trade, with a large Huguenot weaving industry in Spitalfields in the East End of London.
What statistics show the improvement of the cloth trade?
.The monetary value of textile exports multiplied 15-fold from 1485 and 1714.
.The value of exports rose from £600,000 in the 1560s to £1.5 million in the 1660s.
.Cloth was 92% of exports from London in 1640 and even as rival products entered the market it still accounted for 74% of exports in 1660 and 72% in 1700.
