Urban Society - Urban society and government
5 important questions on Urban Society - Urban society and government
Who dominated the skylines of early modern European towns?
Which collective responsibilities were there in towns?
- Within the local parish, town-dwellers participated in devotions and processions. As heads of household within an administrative district, such as a quarter, they would pay tax and serve in the local militia.
- Their occupation might prompt them to join a guild or confraternity, to live and work alongside their fellow-workers in a particular street or to meet regularly at a particular inn or other meeting-place.
What are the main responsibilities of town councils?
- The main responsibilities of town councils concerned provision for everyday and emergency situations, to avert or deal with crises and to mediate between the interests of overlord and inhabitants.
- Among the most pressing matters were the provision of grain; measures to prevent the spread of plague (which hit early modern towns on average every 15 years); and the unpredictable incidence of fire and flood or, more unusually, earthquake and volcanic eruption.
- In addition, the organization of the local militia, the regulation of crafts and guilds, and the organization of civic events came within the purview of the councillors.
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What was one of the key concerns of centralizing rulers?
- The reduction of urban autonomy was one of the key concerns of centralizing rulers, who were well aware of the need to curb resistance from towns, as well as to nurture their economic prosperity.
- The impact on urban culture led to a growing emphasis on law and order.
What historical role did towns play in early modern period?
- Towns continued to play a central role in the transmission of ideas because of their dynamic and diverse concentration of commerce, culture and people.
- Both Renaissance and Reformation movements are traditionally recognized as principally urban phenomena.
- Alongside courts and the Church, major towns were key centres of artistic patronage and display, also housing the foremost educational institutions: schools, colleges and universities.
- The development of print culture had its greatest impact in towns with their higher literacy rates.
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