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How Economics Went From Medieval to Modern

There was once a time when there were only occasional federal taxes, no 9-to-5 jobs and farmers markets as far as the eye could see. And then the Black Death came and ruined the whole thing.

This was back in Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, often called the High Middle Ages. And life back then was pretty rough. You were either in the country working for a knight, who was basically a mafia thug, or living in the city under the rules of a guild, who would throw you out of town if they didn't like what you were doing.

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Bronson Arcuri is an award-winning video producer and multimedia journalist. He is currently an editor and managing producer on the NPR video team. In addition to overseeing NPR's video coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine, he also manages short-form video production for All Things Considered, Life Kit and NPR's international reporting and political coverage. He is also part of the leadership team developing news products for emerging platforms, including Instagram and TikTok.