European Renaissance and Reformation 29

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GEOGRAPHY APPLICATION: MOVEMENT

Trade in Renaissance EuropeDirections: Read the paragraphs below and study the map carefully. Then answerthe questions that follow.Section 2

For centuries Venice and other coastal Italiancity-states had a monopoly on trade in their

region, the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, around1200, European merchants to the north beganorganizing far-ranging, controlled trade routes oftheir own.

Northern European cities formed a federationcalled the Hanseatic League. By the 1300s theLeague had incorporated most of the Baltic andNorth Sea ports, with German states serving as ago-between. Lübeck, built in the 1200s, was situat-ed in a sheltered port and became the “mothertown” of the League, which stretched from Russiato England. Merchants from the nearly 100-mem-ber cities—including such inland locations as

Cologne and Novgorod—made up the League’sgoverning body.

Along with a great growth in ship traffic in theupper European region, land transport alsoincreased. Cloth, metals, and other goods such asfish, timber, animal skins, tar, and turpentine werebrought to ports and exchanged for the raw goodsof Scandinavia and Russia. The League eventuallyset up branch offices in England and createdmonopolies to protect their commerce. However,in the early 1600s, the League was hit by internalstrife and foreign attacks and was so weakened thatit disbanded. At this time, English and Dutch mer-chants took over control of shipping in the region.

CHAPTER

17

FRANCEFRANCE

GERMANGERMAN

STSTATESTES

S C A N D I N AS C A N D I N A V I AV I A

ITITALALY

RUSSIARUSSIA

A S I AA S I A

A F R I C AA F R I C A

ENGLANDENGLAND

M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a

Ca s p i a n

S e a

B a l t i cS

e a

A T L A N T I CT L A N T I CO C E A NO C E A N

N o r t hS e a

B l a c k S e a

BeirutBeirut

ConstantinopleConstantinople

AlexandriaAlexandriaTripoliripoli

ParisParis

LondonLondon

EdinburghEdinburgh

StockholmStockholm

Lyonsyons

NovgorodNovgorod

BergenBergen

DanzigDanzigLübeckLübeck

HamburgHamburg

CologneCologne

Veniceenice

CadizCadiz

Valenciaalencia

MilanMilan

MarseillesMarseilles

NaplesNaples

KievKiev

AlgiersAlgiersTunisunis

BrugesBruges

FRANCE

GERMAN

STATES

S C A N D I N A V I A

ITALY

RUSSIA

A S I A

A F R I C A

ENGLAND

M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a

Ca s p i a n

S e a

B a l t i cS

e a

A T L A N T I CO C E A N

N o r t hS e a

B l a c k S e a

Beirut

Constantinople

AlexandriaTripoli

Paris

London

Edinburgh

Stockholm

Lyons

Novgorod

Bergen

DanzigLübeck

Hamburg

Cologne

Venice

Cadiz

Valencia

Milan

Marseilles

Naples

Bruges

Kiev

AlgiersTunis

Renaissance Trade RoutesHanseatic trade route

Venetian trade route

0 1,000 Kilometers

0 500 Miles

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30 Unit 4, Chapter 17

Interpreting Text and Visuals

1. What is the Hanseatic League? __________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Name four port cities where the Venetian and Hanseatic trade routes met. ________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Besides location and length, what would you say marks the major difference between the

Hanseatic and Venetian trade routes? ______________________________________________

4. Describe the movement of goods from the port of Marseilles to London in two ways: by

Venetian and by Hanseatic trade routes. ____________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

5. In the 1300s a land route and then a canal connected Lübeck with Hamburg. Why do you think

this linkage was so important? ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

6. The Baltic Sea has been called a “Scandinavian Mediterranean.” Explain why that comparison

seems logical.__________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

7. Considering the weather possibilities of their far northern location, what do you see as one great

disadvantage to the Hanseatic League’s sea routes?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Name Trade in Renaissance Europe continued

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