The black death was one of the most devastating pandemics in European history, resulting in millions of death between the years 1347-51. It had significant impact at the time, sparking widespread fear and leading to the breakdown of social order and family bonds. The black death also arguably led to long-term changes to the structure of European society. It is historically significant not just because of its impact but also because it reveals some dominant ideas and religious beliefs of the time. Arguably it is also significant because it is still relevant today, highlighting how communities react during times of crisis.
The Black Death had a significant impact on Europe at the time of the outbreak. Firstly, large numbers of Europeans contracted
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For example the disease resulted in increased social mobility and greater opportunities for peasants previously stuck at the bottom of the feudal system. The peasants and people of the lower class knew that no one could survive the black death so they saw death coming their way, they decided to live their last months as they pleased. The black death had scared everyone so much till the point where the houses and pubs were abandoned but all the decor and the belongings were still in place. This led to people of the lower class ( who earlier did not have a chance to attend any pubs or bars), taking over the public houses and taking their belongings and celebrating their last months with alcohol and music. Although some peasants did survive and were then convinced that they were special and that god had saved them, therefore they demanded higher wages from their masters as there was a lack of people working and the people of higher class were desperate for help. Later on when Europe was starting to recover from the black death, more equality between the class differences arose, for example, between the rich and the poor because of the increased living standards. The peasants got higher wages leading to a more equal society as the gap between rich and poor started to decrease. People became more accepting of death and it allowed Europe to start a new beginning after the
Change in European Understanding of Plague in the 1348 versus 1352 Known as the “Black Death,” one of the most devastating plague pandemic wiped out approximately 30 to 60 percent of the European population, peaking in between 1348 and 1350 . It caused massive religious, social, and economic, upheaval in the European society causing great changes in the European culture and lifestyle1. Finally, when after three and a half years the first wave passed in 1351, it spared few regions causing devastation in towns, rural communities, families, and religious institutions . The plague was reportedly first introduced to Europe via the ports of Caffa and Sicily in 1347, when several Italian merchant ships returned from a trip to the Black Sea, one of the key links in trade with China .
It was a crisis where no one knew why death kept coming. Not only did kill, but it impacted how life was lived, too. Overall, the black death forever damaged the social pillars in Europe. One of the social pillars was how family was, and with a crisis like the plague, family wasn’t the biggest factor in surviving. In the event that the plague was spreading, it scared others and led them to panic.
The Black Death caused many positive and negative changes in medieval society. Since the Black Death caused such a vast amount of humans to die in a short period, there was a large surplus of food however a shortage of peasants to work the land. This labour shortage meant that serfs were no longer tied to the land and could leave to find higher wages, as said in Chronicle of the Black Death 'such a shortage of workers... scarcely be persuaded to serve the eminent unless for triple wages'. Secondly, because of the upwards mobility and lack of structure that came from the Black Death and the fact that serfs could ask for more pay, feudalism became a lot less prominent in many places and was eventually replaced with other systems, such as capitalism.
It is no wonder that the Europeans felt that their economic environment was vulnerable and uneasy, “European economy slowly improved, and agriculture and manufacturing production eventually reached pre-famine levels” (Nelson, Insert Year). The economy impact of the Black Death must start with the historical context that the economy was not as sturdy as other time periods or European history. For this reason, the set back, economically speaking, was an enormous strain on European life. With population decreasing drastically, and the economy barely trying to recover from the famine, the Europeans suffered in terms of having workers to produce into the economy--especially to create food for what was left of the population. For these reasons, the Black Death took a major toll on the economy of Europe and created relentless heart ache, “Many people touched by the plague moved away from medieval cities and towns to unaffected areas.
The plague then started to infect thousands and thousands until 35% of Europe’s population was deceased. This reduced the world population in total to seventy-five to one hundred million people. Massive loss of life was caused. For a short time war stopped and trade declined. Many of the serfs died, so the remaining ones demanded higher wages.
The Black Death was so devastating to Europe because of the population change and the effects it had on people. The Black Death changed many people’s lives. For example, most of the population decreased, which is sad because their lives are gone. It affected Spain, France, and Italy in 1348; Barbaria, and England in 1349; and Poland in 1350.
All plagues strike by uprooting individual lives and society as a whole. Nevertheless, the particular circumstances regarding the government, and religious and cultural beliefs in the affected lands influence the specific results of the tragedy, as witnessed through the Black Death and smallpox. Although both diseases led to drastic economic changes, they caused different overturns of religious beliefs, and only the Black Death resulted in the creation of public health services and the marginalization of groups of people. A lack of labor precipitated alterations to the economy--the end of feudalism in the case of the Black Death and the creation of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the case of smallpox.
The Black Death impacted the economic and social balance of several monarchies. First, the people of Europe flogged themselves to renounce their sins and to achieve holiness. Secondly, the people disregarded the social balance, spiritual and secular laws. The Black Death not only broke up families, as the Romans
As the Black Death traveled through Europe, it left thousands dead. From 1315 to 1322, the Great Famine caused starvation and death, weakening Europe’s population. Once the Black Death came into
The Black Death had a big impact on European religion. Because people could not understand the plague, they strongly believed that the plague was a punishment sent by God. The church claimed that God was punishing people because of the sins they have committed. They organized religious marches and told people to pray to get rid of the horrible disease. However, around 1348, Christians started accusing the Jews of bringing and spreading the plague to Europe.
Most of the known world was devoured by the most notorious epidemic in history. In the 1351 , the infamous Black Death began to chew up and spit out Europe along with Asia and Africa as if being a victim of the Black Death once wasn’t horrific enough, The Great Pestilence hit Europe for the second time in the 18th century, along side that, in the 20th century Asia and Africa were revisited by The Great Plague. According to the background essay, “In five short years, the plague killed between 25 and 45% of the population it encountered.” During the time of the gruesome Black Death, two religions were widely practiced in this region of the world, Christianity and Islam. These were two religions with some different views and reasoning for this merciless period of terror and death.
During the 1340s and 1350s, the art, literature, and music that was composed in Europe took a dark turn. The art from that time period was full of depictions of the “Angel of Death,” the “Kiss of Death,” destruction, and sadness (“Cultural and Economic Effects of the Black Death”). Drawings and paintings also depicted ghost towns in which there were no people because they had all died from the Bubonic Plague (“Cultural and Economic Effects of the Black Death”). The literature that was written during the time that the Black Death was adamant in Europe was also had an exceedingly somber tone. After many of the people began to fall due to sickness, the funerals soon became short;that is, if there was even a funeral held (“Social and Economic Effects of the Plague”).
The Black Death was a plague that was in Asia that also spread to Europe in the Middle Ages. Its took a toll on the society, trading and political development. Since the plague was considered to be bubonic and pneumonic almost anyone could catch it. At the time, there was not much knowledge on how to treat people with the plague. There also wasn’t much knowledge on hyenine, so the plague spread faster.
The Black Death was a disease that had a catastrophic impact on Europe. Reaching Europe in 1347, the plague killed an estimation of one-third of the population in the first wave. Each document varies with its reasons for the cause of the plague and how to deal with it. The first document Ordinances against the Spread of Plague seemed to blame Pisa and Lucca for the plague and thus, began to forbid contact with those places. It was forbidden for citizens of Pistoia to go to, or have contact with anyone or anything from Pisa or Lucca.
In summary, the Black Death affected political aspects of Europe because it altered the plans of the Kings who wanted to conquer more land, and make more money for themselves and their nobility. The politics in Europe were not the only area affected by the Black