Around 1200, the commercialization of the English wool fair system marked a significant development in the economy and culture of medieval England. Monasteries and towns expanded raw wool production for export to Flemish weavers, generating immense wealth for a rising merchant class. This shift not only transformed local economies but also influenced social structures, contributing to the growth of towns and the decline of feudalism.

The commercialization of the English wool fair system around 1200 funded a new literate class of merchants who commissioned secular manuscripts. This established a market for vernacular English poetry outside royal courts, allowing poets like Chaucer to flourish and explore themes of everyday life and social commentary.