Essay On The Black Death

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Around 1339 in northwestern Europe, the population began to outgrow the food supply and a severe economic crisis incremented. The winters were inordinately cold and the summers were arid and dry. Due to this extreme weather, a minute number of crops could produce and those that grew were dying. On the wake of these seven distressing years of weather and famine was the greatest plague of all times, The Black Death. In 1347 AD, The Black Death began spreading throughout Western Europe. Over the time span of three years, the widespread epidemic killed one third of the population in Europe with pretty near twenty five million people dead. The Black Death killed many more Europeans than any other endemic or war up to that time, vastly impacting the Church, the people, and the economy. These three social backbones were changed forever.

Firstly, when the plague first reached Europe, people panicked. With thoughts of survival, many began to abandon what they had and moved to villages and country sides in hope of eliciting a safe haven from the disease. The families living during The Black Death were deprived of being endowed to call themselves a family. Where there had been no plague, there the people carried it; if it was already there, the infected fleeing granted it to increase. The abhorrence that people in Europe were feeling was alarming to their state of mind. Since the cities were highly populated, those who left for the country schlepped the disease with them and infected those who previously lived on the countryside. As many continued to run from the plague, the people of Europe sought a person to blame for the profanation. The European Christian’s of the time were xenophobic towards the Jews. The Jews were boycotted work in ...

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...d left the economy in a drastically deserted condition. The hygiene of the people in the medieval ages was already appalling. Bathing was unheard of and eye infections were prevalent because of the irrationally unbalanced diets. Animals simply added to the filth.

By 1350 AD, the survivalists began to realize their nightmare was coming to an end. A decline in trade occurred because people were fearful to trade good with a once plague infested country. This was one of the long term effects of the widespread epidemic. All of these factors contributed to Europe’s period of weakened prosperity. One third of a countries population cannot be eliminated over the short period of three years without ample displacements' to its’ economy, Church life, and family life. Through these losses, a tiny insect toppled Europe’s social structure and altered Middle Age society forever.

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