Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Medieval History Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Political Economy

Selected Works

European History

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Medieval History

Religion, Longevity, And Cooperation: The Case Of The Craft Guild, Gary Richardson Jul 2009

Religion, Longevity, And Cooperation: The Case Of The Craft Guild, Gary Richardson

Gary Richardson

Whenthe mortality rate is high, repeated interaction alonemaynot sustain cooperation, and religion may play an important role in shaping economic institutions. This insight explains why during the fourteenth century, when plagues decimated populations and the church promoted the doctrine of purgatory, guilds that bundled together religious and occupational activities dominated manufacturing and commerce. During the sixteenth century, the disease environment eased, and the Reformation dispelled the doctrine of purgatory, necessitating the development of new methods of organizing industry. The logic underlying this conclusion has implications for the study of institutions, economics, and religion throughout history and in the developing world …


Guilds, Laws, And Markets For Manufactured Merchandise In Late-Medieval England, Gary Richardson Dec 2003

Guilds, Laws, And Markets For Manufactured Merchandise In Late-Medieval England, Gary Richardson

Gary Richardson

The prevailing paradigm of medieval manufacturing presumes guilds monopolized markets for durable goods in late-medieval England. The sources of the monopolies are said to have been the charters of towns, charters of guilds, parliamentary statutes, and judicial precedents. This essay examines those sources, demonstrates they did not give guilds legal monopolies in the modern sense of the word, and replaces that erroneous assumption with an accurate description of the legal institutions underlying markets for manufactures in medieval England.


A Tale Of Two Theories: Monopolies And Craft Guilds In Medieval England And Modern Imagination, Gary Richardson May 2001

A Tale Of Two Theories: Monopolies And Craft Guilds In Medieval England And Modern Imagination, Gary Richardson

Gary Richardson

No abstract provided.