Before the Crusades, travel was local, so Europeans never saw foreign lifestyles or merchandise. But during this period, Europeans gained a wider worldview through their journeys. Through that, they caught a glimpse of what life was like for different people around the world. This immediately had a drastic impact on their economy. The Crusaders couldn’t imagine living without all the new things they discovered, so they brought them home to Europe. These foreign luxuries included Chinese silks, Byzantine gold jewelry, and Asian spices. (Ellis 54) People in Europe loved these items and the demand for more foreign commodities grew rapidly. To accommodate the growing desire for non-local goods, trade routes expanded and developed. As a result of the trading, wealth was abundant and that spurred the beginning of an economic twirl. The growth of trade made the use of money necessary, and a new financial system began. A common problem that buyers have is lack of money when they want to buy things. This was solved with credit or delayed payment. (Ellis 556) Allowing merchants to sell their items even if the buyer didn’t have access to money at the time and would still make a