Effects Of The Black Plague On Medieval Europe

The Black Plague and its Economic Effects on Medieval Europe
The Middle Ages is often a time that is mislabeled. Some consider it to be a time of darkness and disorder. Others, specifically literary people, make it seem like a beautiful time of chivalry and knights who saved distressed maidens. Author Jeffrey L. Forgeng writes, “We are inclined today to romanticize the Middle Ages.” The Middle Ages was truly a time of great change for Europeans. It can be characterized by advancements in architecture and art, a strong religious following, and advancements in social and economic systems. One of the most discussed events during this period of time was the Black Plague. This pestilence devastated Europe but it can also be argued that it
What was once a continent of 38 million people almost doubled to 74 million people. This aided the speed with which the disease spread. The large population growth, especially in cities, as well as the lack of sanitation created the perfect breeding ground for the sickness. People in the cities had no real sewage system. They would just throw their waste into the streets. Animals were very common in the cities as well. They would walk around, sometimes unattended, and spread their waste. Sometimes the streets would flood and the human and animal waste would mix and contaminate the drinking water. A contemporary of the time period wrote, “He who lives amidst the stench no longer perceives it; he must depart and return for the stench to affect him.” The people of the time had very little understanding about diseases and how they were spread.
These disgusting conditions, although not a good environment to foster human life, lead to an increased rat population. On the skin of these rats were fleas. These fleas would bite the rats and become carriers of the Black Plague. Do to the conditions in which these people lived they were probably always very close to a rat. The fleas from the rats would get on humans and bite them, passing on the
This began a series of peasant revolts. 1358 marked the first revolt. It was called the French Jacquerie revolt because the peasants were often referred to as Jacques. The Black Death as well as the peasant revolts, and ultimately the death of feudalism all occurred during the time known as the One Hundred Years War (1337-1453). During this first peasant revolt the French nobility was already struggling because of the war. One of the more important nobles, king John the second, had been taken captive which forced an Anglo-Saxon true to be made. This brought English mercenaries to the French countryside. The French nobility ordered more more from the peasants in order to increase their protection. This anger the peasants who already felt that they were being taken advantage of by the nobility. In response to this they began to fight back. As a disorganized group the rose up and began to invade castles. They killed all of the nobility that they could. However, because they were unorganized and did not have sufficient weapons they were quickly suppressed by other