The Black Death: The Plague In The Middle Ages
Imagine a place where everyone is dying from a deadly disease and leaves your town with very few people, that happened in the Middle Ages. The Black Death was a deadly disease that can kill people in 2 days. Feudalism is a political structure that was a way to pay taxes and work to get food. The Black Death was one of the reasons for the decline of feudalism because it killed many people in the system and didn't matter what social class you were in. The Black Plague was one of the major issues that led to the decline of feudalism.
The Plague started from rats and started to spread quickly in the 1300s. The disease spread very quickly back then and it was very easy to catch the plague. Since people did not know any medical ingredients or cures …show more content…
to use for the plague, it was easier for the disease to spread. “Arriving at the eastern end of the Mediterranean in 1347, spreading along the sea - lanes to France, southern Spain and Italy;” (Butler 201). This evidence in my resources prove that the horrific illness expanded to foreign countries, it was a worldwide pandemic in Africa, China, Russia, and Scandinavia countries (Cartwright 33). Nobody paid that much attention to the disease because at first it felt like a fever but it got worse. Life with the plague was lowering the population rate quickly. “The weekly return of plague deaths was 100, 300, 450 but thereafter the rise was increasingly steep, reaching 2,000 by the end of July, 6,500 at the end of August, and over 7,000 at the peak in the third week of September” (Cartwright 31). According to the source I researched, it showed the number of deaths and how it was increasing. At first the plague did not kill much of the people, but since people did not realize they were sick they were not prepared. The death rate was low at the beginning but started to grow and got worse (Cartwright 31). The population death rate increased because this cruel disease was subtle at first but then got out of hand.
The disease led to the decline of feudalism because of the lack of workers. The plague was killing many people because of its symptoms. The symptoms of the plague were very effective and can take you out quickly. ”Victims typically died within four days 100 hours agony” (Knight 214). This book I researched clearly shows that people cannot stay alive with the plague. “The people of this Medieval time had no idea of this scientific explanation for the plague and instead looked for spiritual causes and cures” (Knight 214). People were losing stock of food because farmers were dying. It was hard to maintain stock since the people were dying no one was there to create stock. “With fewer people the land could produce a surplus of food for the much lower population” (The Black Death ). “Thus a decreased flow of money weakened feudalism” (Cartwright 33). With no workers still alive to farm the land, it was hard to do all the jobs that needed to be done.
Feudalism back then was a system used for payment and trade.
Each social class worked for a class higher than them. Because of a shortage of workers, jobs and deals were hard to do. Nobles like Kings, Knights and Clergy lost income because of the collapse of the grain markets, no pools in church landlords no longer had surplus grain to sell (Cartwright3). Food prices were going low and people were losing stalk of everything. The social classes from the poor to rich all had their own duties they must do. Peasants were the lowest class and were poor. It was not a good life for them and they had to struggle to survive (Pizzuto). But commoners were not poor or rich, but they had jobs to earn money and had a good life (Pizzuto). Bishops ruled over churches and dioceses with priests and collected taxes and offerings to be wealthier (Pizzuto). As I was looking on to this source I noticed that the social classes each did something that supported the social class above them. Since people were dying from the plague most people had freedom. Serfs were the common people in the middle ages but ever since the plague hit they have gotten more freedom. Since laborers were dying, serfs had the freedom to choose who to work for (Whipps). Before the plague serfs did not choose who to work for, they only worked for people who they were assigned to, but after the plague they could choose for themselves who to work for. Maximum wage control is for employing classes such as Lords, craftsman, farmers and many more (Rothbard). Basically the economy back then was just feudalism and
manorialism. The Military was the protection for all villages. Knights helped to fight in the war and cared for the villagers. Knights would be walking around the village to check if help is needed. They “were rich and depended on vassals or nobles of lower rank for help when they were in trouble” (Pizzuto 15). “These feudal lords enlisted the military commitment and services of ex-Carolingian, tribal Warriors of transient soldiers of fortune”(Smith 2). Knights will not only fight and protect the village, but they would always lookout for the Lord. Lords would have someone do their landwork for them and they are called vassals. Vassals are when knights enter a relationship with a feudal lord (Smith). Vassals also fought enemies too. They also helped in protection for the Lord and the rest of the people. Vassals are a military service that would protect the Lord's land and family (Smith). The military protected the people and the Lord, they also looked after land and helped the people in need.
During the Middle Ages mostly everyone was religious and thought everything happened by God. People back then believed the plague was a punishment from God. The people were super religious and believed that everything was God’s decision and He was the one that brought people into your life. Christianity shaped a cultural response and believed that it was God that was behind of all of this (Byrne). As you can see they believed everything was done by God and did not know that they can make their own choices. People wanted to make sure that they would go to heaven when they die. Many people willed their property to the church to make sure they had a place in heaven (Woodville). People willed their property and believed so deeply in their religion to make them eligible for heaven. Catholicism was everywhere in the Middle Ages. Catholicism was one of the main religions back then. Condemnation was given by the Catholic Church to make people feel that the Church disapproved of their unholy actions (The Flagellants). Everyone was mostly Catholic because they went to a Catholic church. Everyone was bound to God and were full of religion.
Laws back then in the Middle Ages were different than the laws now because of all the problems that time period had. Since the plague happened, the laws back then were silly because the people did not know how the plague had started . No one knew what the cause of the plague was because nobody looked into it correctly so they assumed what happened and made rules. Europeans advice for the plague was to flee, avoid exercising and bathing, burn incense and carry flowers, smell strong odors from a latrine to overcome the plague vapors, and wear religious medals and papers with magical words like abracadabra (The Black Death). This evidence proves that the people had different laws to be cured from the ill. Since the plague killed many people, it was really hard for the different social classes to do the work. Since the social classes were falling apart because of the disease they needed to make rules. “The longest-lasting ill effect from the black death was the response of the English crown in imposing permanent maximum wage control and compulsory liber rationing upon English society (Rothbard). Since they were low on farmers and workers some monarchs needed to work. The plague changed the social class system and the way of laws.
The Black Death was one of the problems that lead to the decline of feudalism. The Plague nearly ended feudalism because it killed many people in the Middle Ages and did not matter what social class you were in. Feudalism was a structure that was an idea to pay taxes to higher social classes. The Death was a deadly illness that can kill anyone in a short amount of time. So if you lived in this time you would probably not live through it.
The Plague started from rats and started to spread quickly in the 1300s. The disease spread very quickly back then and it was very easy to catch the plague. Since people did not know any medical ingredients or cures …show more content…
to use for the plague, it was easier for the disease to spread. “Arriving at the eastern end of the Mediterranean in 1347, spreading along the sea - lanes to France, southern Spain and Italy;” (Butler 201). This evidence in my resources prove that the horrific illness expanded to foreign countries, it was a worldwide pandemic in Africa, China, Russia, and Scandinavia countries (Cartwright 33). Nobody paid that much attention to the disease because at first it felt like a fever but it got worse. Life with the plague was lowering the population rate quickly. “The weekly return of plague deaths was 100, 300, 450 but thereafter the rise was increasingly steep, reaching 2,000 by the end of July, 6,500 at the end of August, and over 7,000 at the peak in the third week of September” (Cartwright 31). According to the source I researched, it showed the number of deaths and how it was increasing. At first the plague did not kill much of the people, but since people did not realize they were sick they were not prepared. The death rate was low at the beginning but started to grow and got worse (Cartwright 31). The population death rate increased because this cruel disease was subtle at first but then got out of hand.
The disease led to the decline of feudalism because of the lack of workers. The plague was killing many people because of its symptoms. The symptoms of the plague were very effective and can take you out quickly. ”Victims typically died within four days 100 hours agony” (Knight 214). This book I researched clearly shows that people cannot stay alive with the plague. “The people of this Medieval time had no idea of this scientific explanation for the plague and instead looked for spiritual causes and cures” (Knight 214). People were losing stock of food because farmers were dying. It was hard to maintain stock since the people were dying no one was there to create stock. “With fewer people the land could produce a surplus of food for the much lower population” (The Black Death ). “Thus a decreased flow of money weakened feudalism” (Cartwright 33). With no workers still alive to farm the land, it was hard to do all the jobs that needed to be done.
Feudalism back then was a system used for payment and trade.
Each social class worked for a class higher than them. Because of a shortage of workers, jobs and deals were hard to do. Nobles like Kings, Knights and Clergy lost income because of the collapse of the grain markets, no pools in church landlords no longer had surplus grain to sell (Cartwright3). Food prices were going low and people were losing stalk of everything. The social classes from the poor to rich all had their own duties they must do. Peasants were the lowest class and were poor. It was not a good life for them and they had to struggle to survive (Pizzuto). But commoners were not poor or rich, but they had jobs to earn money and had a good life (Pizzuto). Bishops ruled over churches and dioceses with priests and collected taxes and offerings to be wealthier (Pizzuto). As I was looking on to this source I noticed that the social classes each did something that supported the social class above them. Since people were dying from the plague most people had freedom. Serfs were the common people in the middle ages but ever since the plague hit they have gotten more freedom. Since laborers were dying, serfs had the freedom to choose who to work for (Whipps). Before the plague serfs did not choose who to work for, they only worked for people who they were assigned to, but after the plague they could choose for themselves who to work for. Maximum wage control is for employing classes such as Lords, craftsman, farmers and many more (Rothbard). Basically the economy back then was just feudalism and
manorialism. The Military was the protection for all villages. Knights helped to fight in the war and cared for the villagers. Knights would be walking around the village to check if help is needed. They “were rich and depended on vassals or nobles of lower rank for help when they were in trouble” (Pizzuto 15). “These feudal lords enlisted the military commitment and services of ex-Carolingian, tribal Warriors of transient soldiers of fortune”(Smith 2). Knights will not only fight and protect the village, but they would always lookout for the Lord. Lords would have someone do their landwork for them and they are called vassals. Vassals are when knights enter a relationship with a feudal lord (Smith). Vassals also fought enemies too. They also helped in protection for the Lord and the rest of the people. Vassals are a military service that would protect the Lord's land and family (Smith). The military protected the people and the Lord, they also looked after land and helped the people in need.
During the Middle Ages mostly everyone was religious and thought everything happened by God. People back then believed the plague was a punishment from God. The people were super religious and believed that everything was God’s decision and He was the one that brought people into your life. Christianity shaped a cultural response and believed that it was God that was behind of all of this (Byrne). As you can see they believed everything was done by God and did not know that they can make their own choices. People wanted to make sure that they would go to heaven when they die. Many people willed their property to the church to make sure they had a place in heaven (Woodville). People willed their property and believed so deeply in their religion to make them eligible for heaven. Catholicism was everywhere in the Middle Ages. Catholicism was one of the main religions back then. Condemnation was given by the Catholic Church to make people feel that the Church disapproved of their unholy actions (The Flagellants). Everyone was mostly Catholic because they went to a Catholic church. Everyone was bound to God and were full of religion.
Laws back then in the Middle Ages were different than the laws now because of all the problems that time period had. Since the plague happened, the laws back then were silly because the people did not know how the plague had started . No one knew what the cause of the plague was because nobody looked into it correctly so they assumed what happened and made rules. Europeans advice for the plague was to flee, avoid exercising and bathing, burn incense and carry flowers, smell strong odors from a latrine to overcome the plague vapors, and wear religious medals and papers with magical words like abracadabra (The Black Death). This evidence proves that the people had different laws to be cured from the ill. Since the plague killed many people, it was really hard for the different social classes to do the work. Since the social classes were falling apart because of the disease they needed to make rules. “The longest-lasting ill effect from the black death was the response of the English crown in imposing permanent maximum wage control and compulsory liber rationing upon English society (Rothbard). Since they were low on farmers and workers some monarchs needed to work. The plague changed the social class system and the way of laws.
The Black Death was one of the problems that lead to the decline of feudalism. The Plague nearly ended feudalism because it killed many people in the Middle Ages and did not matter what social class you were in. Feudalism was a structure that was an idea to pay taxes to higher social classes. The Death was a deadly illness that can kill anyone in a short amount of time. So if you lived in this time you would probably not live through it.