CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: E - The Hanseatic League was a confederation of towns and guilds along most of the Baltic coast in Northern Europe that aligned to promote their mutual economic interests and defend their shared geographic region. While they were organized for economic reasons and never became a city-state or official political institution, the league did ultimately wield considerable power for a while. They expanded territorially to establish Kontors, or trading posts, in neighboring areas to lengthen their trade route, and they also waged war. The Hanseatic League had a great deal of seafaring might, and subsequently came into frequent conflict with pirates. Ultimately, they imploded in the late 1500s due to internal problems and a struggle to adapt to a changing Europe.