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The population of Europe took a devastating turn during the fall of
1347. A disease had broken out, and was carried on the backs of rats who
were infected by the fleas carrying the disease, which eventually was
passed on to man, causing the enlargement of the lymph nodes, and
eventually death, usually within three to four days. The blackish coloring
of the swelling gives the disease its name: the Black Death or Plague. The
first cases of the Black Plague were being reported, and the population was
begining to fall. Changes in the size of civilization led to changes in
trade, the church, music and art, and many other things. The middle ages
were already a period of trouble and crisis, the plague provoked problems
and added new ones, and the crisis worsened. The swiftness of the disease,
the terrible agony, and the grotesque appearance of the victims, all served
to make the plague particularly ghastly. With the loss of about one-third
of Europe’s population, serious political, social, and economic problems
arose.
Politically the plague didn’t have much effect on Europe. The
Hundred Years’ War was being fought, and the plague added more fatalities
to the war. The war was suspended and the fighting stopped in 1348 because
of the nuraber of soldiers that died. But it soon enough started back up.
There was no permanent effect on the course of politics. Parliaments were
adjourned, but were quickly reconvened. King Alfonso XI of Castile was the
only reigning monarch to die of the plague, but many lesser notables died,
including the queens of Argon and France, and the son of the Byzantine
emperor (Knox). Local levels felt the damage of the plague more. Whole
families of local nobles were dead. Because of the plague and death,
courts were closed, and therefore wills could not be probated. Courts soon
came back into session; legal messes were fixed and the political life went
on. A few months after the plague, governments took action and once again
regained control that was lost for a brief period. They enacted new laws
to help the economy and the people. Still, as Knox stated, “More than once
you will read of a siege being lifted because of the plague, or of some
principality falling into disarray because the prince died of the Black
Death.”
Socially, Europe was having problems also. The church was in poor
shape due to the popes residing in Avignon and not Rome. People abandoned
their family, and tried to shut themselves out of the world. Children were
left to die on the streets. Only male children were wanted because they
could carry on the family name. A common nursery rhyme came out of it:
Ring a-round the rosy
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes!
We all fall down!
Ring around the rosy: rosary beaRAB give you God’s help. A pocket full of
posies: used to stop the odor of rotting bodies which was at one point
thought to cause the plague, it was also used widely by doctors to protect
them from the infected plague patients. Ashes, ashes: the church burned
the dead when burying them became to laborious. We all fall down: dead
(Bhatt). Priests ran from their parish duties in fear of plague. Mass
death required religious services and consolation, but, since affluent
clergymen were absentees or had fled the plague, the parishioners demanded
a clergy more responsive to their neeRAB. but the new priests were poor and
felt a different relationship ( Magill 1628). Peoples belief in their
religion also declined, due to the deaths of so many clergy, but also to
the disappointment that their prayers were bringing no good to the
situation. The social structure of Europe was drastically and
irretrievably changed.
During the years of the Black Plague, the economy underwent abrupt
and extreme inflation. Since it was so difficult (and dangerous) to
procure gooRAB through trade and to produce them, the prices of both gooRAB
produced locally and those imported from afar skyrocketed (Strayer 265).
Many jobs became open, and anyone with skills of a profession profited.
There was an oversupply of products, causing prices to decline, and an
overdemand of labor, causing wages to rise. If a serf didn’t like his
master or his wage, he could just walk away, and most likely would have
another master need him greatly, therefore giving him the power of
determining his own wages. Financial business was disrupted as debtors
died and their creditors found themselves without recourse. Not only had
the creditor died, his whole family had died with him and many of his
kinsmen. There was simply no one to collect from (Knox). Farms and entire
villages died out and were left abandoned, the only thing left were wild
cattle roaming. Many professions fell hard due to their close proximity of
the disease. Professions such as doctors and clergy who had duties of
their profession to be close to the ill, were in danger. Because of the
Black Plague, economically, Europe suffered greatly, although it did
reclaim itself. The standard of living rose.....for those still living.
The Black Plague marks a horrifying piece of history for Europe.
It had profound effects on political, social, and economical aspects of
life in the fourteenth century. People’s sanity was tested, and even the
most stable person suffered from depression and despair. Existing social
and political systems changed. Moral, philosophical, and religious
convictions were challenged. The Black Plague provided a major theme of
depopulation for the Middle Ages, and it was a major turning event in the
history and development of Europe. Urban populations quickly recovered
within a few years through immigration. Although rural population
recovered slowly. Some professions, such as friars, took generations to
recover. This disease makes you think about all the instantaneous death
that can come into the world, and that can be carried through such a tiny
insect.
Works Cited
Bhatt, Neil, ed. “The Effect on Europe.” [Online] Available
http://www.insecta-inspecta.com.html.
Knox, E. L. Skip. “The Black Death.” History of Western Civilization.
[Online] Available http://history.idbsu.edu.html, 17 Aug. 1995.
Magill, Frank. “Invasion of the Black Death.” Great Events from History.
New Jersey: Salem Press. Vol. 3. pp. 1625 - 1629.
Strayer, Joseph R., ed. Dictionary of the Middle Ages. New York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons. Vol. 2. pp. 257-267.
[/FONT]
[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 1078 [/FONT]
The population of Europe took a devastating turn during the fall of
1347. A disease had broken out, and was carried on the backs of rats who
were infected by the fleas carrying the disease, which eventually was
passed on to man, causing the enlargement of the lymph nodes, and
eventually death, usually within three to four days. The blackish coloring
of the swelling gives the disease its name: the Black Death or Plague. The
first cases of the Black Plague were being reported, and the population was
begining to fall. Changes in the size of civilization led to changes in
trade, the church, music and art, and many other things. The middle ages
were already a period of trouble and crisis, the plague provoked problems
and added new ones, and the crisis worsened. The swiftness of the disease,
the terrible agony, and the grotesque appearance of the victims, all served
to make the plague particularly ghastly. With the loss of about one-third
of Europe’s population, serious political, social, and economic problems
arose.
Politically the plague didn’t have much effect on Europe. The
Hundred Years’ War was being fought, and the plague added more fatalities
to the war. The war was suspended and the fighting stopped in 1348 because
of the nuraber of soldiers that died. But it soon enough started back up.
There was no permanent effect on the course of politics. Parliaments were
adjourned, but were quickly reconvened. King Alfonso XI of Castile was the
only reigning monarch to die of the plague, but many lesser notables died,
including the queens of Argon and France, and the son of the Byzantine
emperor (Knox). Local levels felt the damage of the plague more. Whole
families of local nobles were dead. Because of the plague and death,
courts were closed, and therefore wills could not be probated. Courts soon
came back into session; legal messes were fixed and the political life went
on. A few months after the plague, governments took action and once again
regained control that was lost for a brief period. They enacted new laws
to help the economy and the people. Still, as Knox stated, “More than once
you will read of a siege being lifted because of the plague, or of some
principality falling into disarray because the prince died of the Black
Death.”
Socially, Europe was having problems also. The church was in poor
shape due to the popes residing in Avignon and not Rome. People abandoned
their family, and tried to shut themselves out of the world. Children were
left to die on the streets. Only male children were wanted because they
could carry on the family name. A common nursery rhyme came out of it:
Ring a-round the rosy
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes!
We all fall down!
Ring around the rosy: rosary beaRAB give you God’s help. A pocket full of
posies: used to stop the odor of rotting bodies which was at one point
thought to cause the plague, it was also used widely by doctors to protect
them from the infected plague patients. Ashes, ashes: the church burned
the dead when burying them became to laborious. We all fall down: dead
(Bhatt). Priests ran from their parish duties in fear of plague. Mass
death required religious services and consolation, but, since affluent
clergymen were absentees or had fled the plague, the parishioners demanded
a clergy more responsive to their neeRAB. but the new priests were poor and
felt a different relationship ( Magill 1628). Peoples belief in their
religion also declined, due to the deaths of so many clergy, but also to
the disappointment that their prayers were bringing no good to the
situation. The social structure of Europe was drastically and
irretrievably changed.
During the years of the Black Plague, the economy underwent abrupt
and extreme inflation. Since it was so difficult (and dangerous) to
procure gooRAB through trade and to produce them, the prices of both gooRAB
produced locally and those imported from afar skyrocketed (Strayer 265).
Many jobs became open, and anyone with skills of a profession profited.
There was an oversupply of products, causing prices to decline, and an
overdemand of labor, causing wages to rise. If a serf didn’t like his
master or his wage, he could just walk away, and most likely would have
another master need him greatly, therefore giving him the power of
determining his own wages. Financial business was disrupted as debtors
died and their creditors found themselves without recourse. Not only had
the creditor died, his whole family had died with him and many of his
kinsmen. There was simply no one to collect from (Knox). Farms and entire
villages died out and were left abandoned, the only thing left were wild
cattle roaming. Many professions fell hard due to their close proximity of
the disease. Professions such as doctors and clergy who had duties of
their profession to be close to the ill, were in danger. Because of the
Black Plague, economically, Europe suffered greatly, although it did
reclaim itself. The standard of living rose.....for those still living.
The Black Plague marks a horrifying piece of history for Europe.
It had profound effects on political, social, and economical aspects of
life in the fourteenth century. People’s sanity was tested, and even the
most stable person suffered from depression and despair. Existing social
and political systems changed. Moral, philosophical, and religious
convictions were challenged. The Black Plague provided a major theme of
depopulation for the Middle Ages, and it was a major turning event in the
history and development of Europe. Urban populations quickly recovered
within a few years through immigration. Although rural population
recovered slowly. Some professions, such as friars, took generations to
recover. This disease makes you think about all the instantaneous death
that can come into the world, and that can be carried through such a tiny
insect.
Works Cited
Bhatt, Neil, ed. “The Effect on Europe.” [Online] Available
http://www.insecta-inspecta.com.html.
Knox, E. L. Skip. “The Black Death.” History of Western Civilization.
[Online] Available http://history.idbsu.edu.html, 17 Aug. 1995.
Magill, Frank. “Invasion of the Black Death.” Great Events from History.
New Jersey: Salem Press. Vol. 3. pp. 1625 - 1629.
Strayer, Joseph R., ed. Dictionary of the Middle Ages. New York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons. Vol. 2. pp. 257-267.
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[FONT=tahoma, arial]WorRAB: 1078 [/FONT]