Joan Of Arc Crisis

The 14th century was a backdrop for the foundation for the Renaissance and was characterized by a succession or calamities that were all profound in their own ways and culminated in a defining moment in which the cultural patterns of the Middle Ages were distressed and in many serious ways weakened. These calamities included the Hundred Years’ War, religious conflicts of the Papacy, and he Black Death. It is evident that the 14th Century was a time of turmoil, diminished expectations, loss of confidence in institutions, and feelings of helplessness at forces beyond human control.
In this essay I will discuss and analyze these areas of crisis and which was most traumatic to medieval society. The Hundred Years’ War was a succession of conflicts
The Hundred Years’ War would devastate many parts of France. French armies were thoroughly defeated at the battle of Crecy, Poitiers, and in the mud at Agincourt. France was seemingly destined to lose. In 1428, a sixteen year old peasant girl named Joan of Arc would claim that God had called on her to join the French Army, lift the English siege of Orleans, and see the Dauphin crowned as King of France (Zophy, J.). Joan of Arc’s very presence at Orleans revitalized and inspired French soldiers and distressed the English. Her presence changed the course of the war and in July 1429. The Dauphin was crowned as King Charles VII of France. Following her death, the French armies would win a succession of victories. English territory in France, which had been extensive since 1066, was now confined to the port of Calais. France was now extricated from England would continue to become a great political and military power in Europe
Called the Black Death by historians, the era of plague epidemics began with the arrival of rat-infested merchant ships from the East. Those rats, in turn, carried parasitic fleas that would jump on humans and animals and infect them by biting the unsuspecting host. Cities and towns would lose much as half their population in less than three years. In all, the population of Europe declined by roughly a third during the peak period of the Black Death (Zophy J.). According to Agnolo di Tura, “Victims died almost immediately. They would swell beneath their armpits and in their groins, and fall over while talking. No one can be found to bury the dead for money or friendship. I buried my five children with my own hands (Zophy J.).” Europeans were overwhelmed by the disaster of the plague, fear was wide spread and many believed the plague was God’s judgment on a sinful world. Others blamed traditional scapegoats such as the Jews, who were accused of causing the plague by the poisoning of wells (Fordham.edu), an accusation without substantiation. As a result, the plague can be attributed to a spike in anti-Semitism in