In addition to the conflict between English common law and the law merchant, there were a number of other domestic and international conflicts in the eighteenth century that contributed to the evolution and modernization of commercial law. The Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland led to a number of important reforms, as the system of feudal ownership and inconsistent commercial regulations allowed Charles to raise funds and supplies both internationally and domestically, much to the surprise of the British Crown (Reid, Reinhard, & Zimmerman, 2000, p
That the twelfth century law merchant represents a crucial point of understanding for appreciating the evolution of commercial law from the eighteenth century onward is evidenced by the fact that English commercial law was essentially born out of the codification and legitimization of the law merchant. It is important to note that the law merchant, though developed largely independent of local common law courts, did not represent an entirely separate legal system, but rather a relatively distinct set of laws governing mercantilism that were simply not as widely recognized or used as the common law (understandable, considering they concerned themselves with a specific portion of the population) (Rogers, 2004, p
Trade caravans and traveling merchants needed ways to ensure that commerce could function effectively over the vast distances involved. As a result, common standards and customs of trade and commerce developed, to the point that some merchants were using the forerunner of bank checks by the end of the twelfth century (Schaffer, Agusti, & Earle, 2009, p