Europe around 1500 to 1700
In 1500 most people in Europe lived in villages and grew food. Craftsmen in towns made goods by hand in their own small workshops. Over the next 200 years this slowly changed.
Three big changes came together: new technology, manufactories and capitalist relations.
New technology
Technology means tools and machines that make work easier. In this time:
- The printing press made books cheap, so ideas and skills spread fast.
- Water and wind mills ground grain, sawed wood and pumped water.
- Better looms and mining pumps gave more cloth and metal.
- Better ships and guns helped trade and war.
One person could now make more in a day.
Manufactories: splitting the work
A manufactory was a big workshop where many workers worked under one roof. The work was split into small jobs. This is called division of labour.
Why is it faster? A worker who does one small job again and again becomes quick and good at it. He does not waste time changing tools.
Manufactories made cloth, glass, paper, soap and weapons. Most still used hand tools. Big machines came later, in the Industrial Revolution.
Capitalist relations
Capital is money that is used to make more money. A capitalist (owner or merchant) puts capital in a business. He buys material and tools, pays wages to workers, sells the goods and keeps the profit.
Workers did not own the tools or the goods. They sold their work for a wage. Banks, trading companies and shares helped collect big amounts of money.
Not everyone gained. Wages were low and many poor people lost their land.
How society changed
Towns grew bigger. A new group of rich merchants and owners rose. Alongside them grew a large group of wage workers. Old groups like nobles and peasants still existed but lost some power and land.
Try it
Paper-plane test. Ask 4 friends to make 8 paper planes. First each makes whole planes alone. Count planes in 2 minutes. Then split the job: one folds in half, one folds the wings, one folds the tip, one checks. Count again. Predict first: which way gives more planes? Then check in the 3D: go to the last step and move the slider.
Key formulas and definitions
- Capital → buy material and tools + pay wages → sell goods → profit → new capital
- Division of labour = one big job split into small jobs
- Output per day = workers × items each worker makes
Worked examples
1. A craftsman alone makes 2 rolls of cloth a day. A better loom doubles it. How many rolls in 5 days?
Rolls per day = 2 × 2 = 4. In 5 days = 4 × 5 = 20 rolls.
2. A manufactory has 4 workers, each makes 10 items a day. Alone, a craftsman made 4 items. How many times more is the hall?
Hall = 4 × 10 = 40 items. 40 ÷ 4 = 10 times more.
3. An owner invests 100 coins, sells goods for 130 coins, and wages and material cost 110. What is the profit?
Profit = sales − costs = 130 − 110 = 20 coins.
Common mistakes
- Thinking manufactories used big steam machines. They mostly used hand tools; steam factories came later.
- Mixing capital with profit. Capital is the money put in; profit is what is left after all costs.
- Thinking everyone became richer. Many wage workers were poor.
- Thinking the change was sudden. It happened slowly over about 200 years.