Town privileges

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/town-privileges

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the legal framework?Formalized through royal charters, establishing distinct legal and economic jurisdictions
2. Why did kings give towns special rights?Kings gave towns privileges to encourage people to settle, trade, and stay loyal. It helped the king build a stronger kingdom.
3. How did town privileges help trade?Towns could hold markets and sometimes had a staple right, which meant certain goods had to be sold there. This made towns busy trading hubs and earned money for the town and the king.

Borough Rights: A synonym for town privileges, referring to the specific legal and economic liberties granted to a borough.
Staple Right: A privilege granting a town the exclusive right to trade certain goods, often requiring them to be brought there first.
Urban Autonomy: The capacity of a town or city to govern itself and manage its own affairs with a degree of independence.