The Hanseatic League
“The Hanseatic League was a commercial
and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns that
dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe. It stretched from the
Baltic to the North Sea and inland during the Late Middle Ages and early modern
period (c. 13th to 17th Centuries).”
I chose to focus on the expansion of the Hanseatic League.
The Hanseatic League was located on the Baltic Sea which meant they had great
access to the trade routes. The Scandinavians had been in charge of those trade
routes for many years, therefore they were now in competition with each other. A
treaty was formed and an end was put to the competition. Through this treaty,
the merchants gained access to the inland Russian port of Novgorod.
Alliances formed through the Holy Roman Empire, and over time
the alliances grew from 70 cities to 170. The League also established many
trading posts that grew to become significant enclaves. These trading posts
were in busy areas with a lot of trading and they prospered quickly. The
Hanseatic League started out by trading course woolen fabrics, but as trade
increased, they started to trade newer and finer woolen and linen fabrics, even
silk. These products were being manufactured in Northern Germany. “The century –
long monopolization of sea navigation and trade by the Hanseatic League ensured
that the Renaissance would arrive in Northern Germany long before the rest of
Europe.”
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