The Feudal System: The Black Death

Rome was very significant because it controlled most of Europe and it also had a lot of european culture. Rome fell after the rulers that came in the next century, didn’t know how to deal with Rome’s growing problems and it’s giant empire, therefore Rome began to fall. There were many contributions to the fall of Rome. For example, trade was disrupted, there was limited space and they began to lack new sources of gold and silver. Some people may argue that the Age Of Faith and The Dark Ages are the best labels to describe the era between 500 and 1500 in Europe. The best label to describe this time period is The Age Of Feudalism because the documents show what it was, how it began and how it helped.

The Black death is known around the world, in some parts its called the plague, while others call it the bubonic plague. No matter the name the people know the damage that the black plague caused and how it changed society, some of the ways that it changed society were. The black plague was mostly caused by bad hygiene and diseases being spread and back in the late 1330’s, everyone had diseases and especially rats these filthy creatures were the main cause of the spread of the black plague. Also, it killed millions of people, it scared everyone to death because they had no medicine back then so they thought it was going to kill the whole human race, also their was no cure for the black plague during the following years 1348-1349.

The Bubonic Plague was a disease that was spread through fleas found on rodents. It took place during the late middle ages (1340 - 1400) in mainly Europe and Asia and killed approximately 25 million people. The Bubonic plague was a turning point in history because it caused an advancement in medicine and hygiene, destabilized the Roman Catholic church and caused one of the greatest recessions in history. However, there were a few things that stayed the same, such as the manor system, agriculture, and aspects of medicine. A modern day event that can be compared to the plague is Ebola.

The Middle Ages were a time where kings and nobles owned the land and serfs worked with little pay. Serfs were like slaves that worked on a farm (Doc. 1). They got one day to farm for themselves and the other six they were working for their king or noble (OI). Nobles and kings had knights called vassals (OI). Vassals were knights who protected and served kings and nobles in exchange for land (OI). These relationships were called feudalism (Doc. 1). Feudalism and the Church greatly contributed to the social, economic, and political life in Europe in the Middle Ages.

The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was one of the biggest pandemics in the world. It started to spread from Eastern China, to Europe in the early 1300’s, and it reoccurred multiple times during the years to come. Merchant ships and rodents were the two main ways this disease spread and infected humans (The Black Death 1348). The symptoms for this plague were extremely painful and death was the most likely outcome in most cases. Over 50 million people died. Although the Black Death had some bad outcomes, it did more good than it did bad. Without the Black Death happening, the world would be completely different than it is today (Black Death).

The 14th century was a time when the threat of disease controlled European society, putting fear into every person’s mind. The Bubonic Plague was the disease that led not only to death, but to the abandonment of chivalry and sympathy. The disease first appeared in Europe in 1347, and by the end of 1348, it had traveled across most of Europe, leaving a trail of death (doc 1). With about one third of the population dead, Europe’s society was destroyed, but it was devastated further by the pessimistic and anti semitic attitudes many of the people had.

The Black Death was tragically devastating to the European Society, it affected many people. The Black Death is exactly what it sounds like. The Bubonic Plague (The Black Death) spread in Italy in the spring of 1348. The Black Death is a disease carried by bacteria, which is carried by fleas, on to rats, who pass it on to humans. The Black Death was so devastating to Europe because of the population change and the effects it had on people.

Moreover, the Black Death caused a gastric drop in the economy. Workers died, prices rose, and lords pushed laws so peasants couldn't demand higher wages leading to many revolts and rebellions. Due to the death of so many people, there weren't enough people buying products so the prices rose tremendously. Since the plague started killing millions of workers, lords would try force the survivors to work. But, the surviving workers began to demand higher wages since there were higher prices in the sales market. The lords refused to pay them and even passed some laws to prevent them from demanding money. The survivors refused to continue work for the lords so they left and looked for higher wages in other places. In England, the workers had to

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that reached from China to Europe, connecting the West and the East. The route would begin in China, then head west towards India, then it would go through the Middle East, then to Africa, and finally from Africa they would sail to Europe. This route is most widely known for circulating goods and cultures between these countries, but it is less known for its spread of disease, the Black Death. The Black Death, a plague caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria, originated in China or Central Asia and was spread to Europe by fleas and rats that resided on ships and along the Silk Road. The Black Death killed millions in China, India, Persia (Iran), the Middle East, the Caucasus, and North Africa. Italian

Fourteenth Centaury Europe was a terrible place to live. The foundations of European Civilization were undermined because of the Black Death, the peasant revolts across Europe, and the Hundred Years War. The Black Death was caused by a multitude of different reasons. The Black Death spread to Europe through trade in the Mediterranean, the Huns, and a more centralized Europe. The Black Death spread so quickly overpopulation of cities. 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

The Black Death changed the lives of peasants in many ways. After going through all the pain and suffering, the peasants gained more freedom, rights and respect. The revolt against the government may have been unsuccessful but it still changed the feudal system, creating a better society. Workers became scarce when the Black Death striked. The peasants used this to their advantage against the lords. They asked for higher wage and refused to work. “Peasants could demand higher wages as they knew that a lord was desperate to get in his harvest” (The History Learning Site - March 2015) This quote proves that lords were ready to do anything the peasants asked as they were unable to care for their own farms and crops without their help. This new

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.

As the lowest in the social hierarchy, serfs, one of the two classes of the peasantry, were also an integral part of feudal society. Serfs agreed to serve the lord because what they received in exchange fulfilled their needs. It was dangerous for them to live alone in the countryside where bandits could kill, attack, and steal (Ahlin 1). Peasants who could not defend themselves agreed to become serfs in return for the protection provided by the lord, which allowed them to live behind his walls in safety (Ahlin 1). In addition to this military protection they received legal protection and the right to draw water from the lord’s rivers, cut trees from his forest, and use the pastures (Nardo 25). Also, serfs were given their own plot of land to

In the end France and England both ended up suffering in their own distinct ways. For England and France they had to deal with the Black Death which ended up hurting them both due to the loss of population and peasant revolts due the taxes or unfair laws that were passed leading them to deal with this consequence. From looking at England and France in their own “set” of consequences there is a quite a distinctive difference on how one side was effected than the other. England in this case suffered tremendously because of their Economic Crisis and their losing of land they had in France. France had benefitted from some consequences and such as centralizing due to a broken social system and reclaiming their land that England had control over.

During the Renaissance period a disease was brought to Europe that is known as the “Black Plague”. A ship came from China that brought rats infested with fleas, carrying the plague to Sicily. Many people aboard the ship were already dead from the disease and the ship was ordered to leave the harbor, but it was too late. Sicily was then overcome by the disease and it spread through the trade routes all over Europe. The plague was fatal and spread rapidly in cities where people were close together. This was one of the worst outbreaks of a disease in history and drastically brought down the population. The Black Plague had an effect on the economy, religion, and culture in Europe during the Renaissance period.