Social Impact Of The Black Death

Over the course of history, a series of global events has shaped the comprehensive outlook of human development. The Black Death was one of such events that transformed the prospect of civil progression during the years 1346 to 1353. Caused by the Yersinia Pestis bacterium, the Black Death was a highly contagious and devastating epidemic that prompted the death of one third of the European population (Knox). Serving as a vector for transmission, the black rat and the rat flea proved to be effective ways to spread the three forms of the plague throughout Europe (Courie). Making its way from Asia, the Black Death ravaged through urban centers and rural farms alike, leaving behind a trail of death and despair. During the fourteenth century, the Black Death generated economic, political, and social changes across the European landscape. The Black Death altered the economic atmosphere of Europe during its period of infection and was reflected in demographic transformations and lower class development. As the epidemic came to an end, the death toll totalled at approximately twenty-five million people throughout Europe (Knox). This collapse of large amounts of human populations was largely a result of the short incubation period of the bacterium upon integration with the host. According to Robert Gottfried, an

The highly contagious epidemic was responsible for the death of thirty-three percent of the European population (Knox). The period of demolition of the Black Death is characterized by the expanding opportunities for social mobility, demographic loss, labor shortages, and political turmoil. This epidemic was a historical episode that supported the pathway to human evolution and future progression. Ultimately, the Black Death was one of the most important phenomena in history that has forged a legacy centered around destruction and