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Black death and its effects on the late medieval society
Feudalism during the black death
What was the impact of the black death on medieval society
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(AGG) The Black Plague was a big contributor to the decline of feudal times and how they worked. (BS-1) The Black Plague was a horrendous disease that made millions of people suffer from its horrible symptoms. (BS-2) The Plague spread very quickly, along trade routes and with travelers causing many people to be affected from it. (BS-3) Feudalism was an organized system to separate people into classes and create a government. (BS-4) Military was an important part of the feudal system, they provided protection and got things in return. (BS-5) Religious beliefs such as the great chain of being were a vital factor in the feudal system being able to work effectively. (BS-6) There were lots of oaths and agreements from class to class which …show more content…
allowed the feudal system to work fairly. (BS-7) The Feudal system was a strong working system but was affected tremendously by the Black Death and its brutal depopulation. (TS) Feudalism accommodated the classes of its community in many ways, such as providing an economy with a substantial military to protect the people’s culture and religion they had adapted. Although this structure was productive there were key factors leading to its decline, such as The Black Plague and the toll it took upon the people. (MIP-1) The Black Plague also known as the great mortality, had a very brutal way of taking someone's life. The innumerable symptoms were unbearable and harsh for anyone who developed the plague. (SIP-A) The Plague was a painful epidemic for people, there were different types of plague and both were equally as brutal. (STEWE-1) There were different types of plague, there was the spitting plague which caused the victim to spit blood and would finish off anyone affected in about three days. There was also the bubonic plague which caused huge boil-like lumps called buboes to spread throughout the body which resulted in extreme irritation and agony. (S8 17). The different plagues were equally brutal and uncomfortable. (STEWE-2) Part of the black death was the pneumonic plague in which the disease could be spread by the air. The breath and saliva of anyone who had this type of plague have lots of bacteria in them. If this person speaks, coughs, sneezes, the bacteria can spread to anyone around by inhaling it into their lungs and they will develop the pneumonic type of bubonic plague. This form can spread widely and rapidly. On sporadic case of pne umonic may cause a pandemic. (S10 31). (SIP-B) Everyone who contracted the disease had large number of symptoms in which anyone who got the plague had to undergo. (STEWE-1) The plague changed the affecteds physical appearance..The bubonic plague was commonly known as the black death because the skin of the diseased turned a dark grey color that was almost black. (S14). (STEWE-2) There were stories told from travelers that whole families were wiped out from the plague, pits of dead people because of how fast the population was decreasing and black clouds of smoke that killed anyone near it. These stories scared villages who had not been effected yet. (S1 169). (CS) Conclusively, the Black Plague was a painful epidemic that made many people suffer and die from very painful deaths. (MIP-2) The Black Plague was a recurring disease that took place around the 1300s, it killed millions of people all over the word as well as traveling amongst trade routes with people who hoped to escape from the grim situation.
(SIP-A) The plague had many ways in spreading its disease making more and more people get sick very rapidly (STEWE-1) .The plague killed roughly half of the population of Europe, In crowded areas people could receive the Plague from fleas that had bitten wild black rats. Once transferred from flea to human it became fatal in days. (S3 27). (STEWE-2) In 1347 many sailors that were dying from the plague were on Italian merchant ships from the Black Sea, which is on the trade route between Europe and China. Within days the sailors on the ship had spread the plague from the port cities to the surrounding countryside, within a year the disease spread as far as England. (S14). (SIP-B) Because of the rapidly spreading disease the mortality rate and decrease of population was very high and greatly affected those who survived. (STEWE-1) Over half of the population had died and extremely quickly, there were so many bodies that there was no more room to bury them, the brutal depopulation is almost unimaginable for those who lived through such a painful time. (S1 …show more content…
162). (STEWE-2) The Plague is said to have begun in China’s Gobi desert and it killed about 35 million people there. When sailors traveled to Asia and back rats returned with them to Europe which spread the disease to the European people. (S14). (CS) Therefore, The plague swiftly spread over the majority of the population leaving barely any survivors. (MIP-1) feudalism was a system in which people were organized into social classes and ranks to provide order and sustain a government after the fall of the Roman Empire. (SIP-A) feudalism had many different classes with different obligations and commitments. (STEWE-1) People that were in lower classes had a certain set of obligations to people in higher classes. This system is known as the feudal order, the most powerful in this ladder of ranks is the king then his nobles, vassals, soldiers, tenant farmers, and the lowest class serfs. (S15 14) (STEWE-2) Serfs worked in fields and raised livestock for themselves and their families but because they worked under their lords part of their earnings automatically went to them. (S15 25). (SIP-B) different classes had different obligations depending on the work they were doing and what was being supplied it them in return. (STEWE-1) Vassals would promise heir lord's eternal loyalty, by doing this he would supply money or other belongings if the lord or king needed it and in return the lord would supply him with fiefs which were so times land but could also be other things such as making him the mayor of a town. (S15 19). (STEWE-2) The people were worked on the makes were the peasants which was the largest class out of the population. They worked for their king or vassal and in return were given a home and protection by the lord Knights. (S15 25). (CS) to conclude, feudalism and its many classes had different obligations, and commitments to fulfill depending on the class and the work. (MIP-1) Military was the source of protection for everyone, it was how other classes became protected and it was an honorable class to be apart of. (SIP-A) Soldiers had many responsibilities to their kings and were very honorable. (STEWE-1) A vassal had an oath to his lord to protect a manor, he would summon an army by be joining other vassals.Vassals had to be wealthy men because weaponry, army, and horses were all very expensive but also crucial for battle. There was another type of army called foot soldiers. Most of the foot soldiers who fought were lower ranks than Knights, some were farmers and peasants. Although these soldiers were not trained as well as Knights they could still be very effective in battle. (S15 28-29) . (STEWE-2)Knights took solemn oath to the king to defend them with their lives which is why they were considered so honorable. With this oath came a special ceremony by their king in which he ‘dubbed’ the knight. (S15 31). (SIP-B) Knights did more than fight in battles, they had duties to the castles and had to protect the manor as well. (STEWE-1) Once becoming a knight they had duties to fulfil, when they were not in military service they would protect a castle for around forty days, the kind would have them sleep in the castle as well. However because of their honors beaks status the knight did not have to stay, they were not bound to stay at the castes for that Akihito if time or they could even stay longer to protect it. (S15 32). (STEWE-2) Castles were usually guarded by a small amount of Knights at a time, but as castles grew larger as much as 50 Knights at a time could be guarding the castle at once. Knights also had to supply their own horses, and other supplies needed when in battle because of their high rank. (S15 32). (CS) As a result, military was a crucial sort of feudalism in protecting and serving the medieval people. (MIP-1) One of the parts of feudalism that caused it to function is their dedication to religion and beliefs that the medieval people had. (SIP-A) The great chain of being was an important belief for everyone in medieval times, it gave order to everything that lived and set boundaries for everyone. (STEWE-1) The great chain of being major meaning is that everything that lived had a certain order. Plants were at the bottom of then there was trees and after that came animals, humans, Angels, and God. God was considered the very top of the entire chain. All things had a precise function and if they disobeyed them they were betraying their existence. (S17). (STEWE-2) God stood above all, and humans had a specific place in the chain. Although mankind was all on the chain not all of them were equal, men were above women and depending on their class they were lower or higher on the chain. Through the class there was a chain of obligation from each class, anyone who refused to follow these obligations was seen as denying God. Feudalism was the system that was based off of the great chain. (S16) (SIP-B) Religion had a big impact on the lives of many medieval people, it was usually part to their day to day life and even how they lived. (STEWE-1) Christian ideas, values and symbols were key in nearly every part of society for everyone. Nations were all connected through Christianity no matter the differences that were to be had. (S18 14). (STEWE-2) There were different ranks for men in a church. In a clergy the lowest classes were called the minor orders, the classes were organized by the stages of becoming a priest and most men stayed in the minor orders for their whole life. The highest class was a priest who began to take on religious services. (S18 39). (CS) As a result, religion was a large aspect the of the an average medieval person's life, whether they were just following the great chain or working to become a priest religion was extremely important. (MIP-1) For the feudal system to work their were laws and oaths for everyone to follow to make sure that order was in place. (SIP-A) Between each classes there were important commitments that were created so that everyone had a job that needed to be done and there was order amongst each class. (STEWE-1) There was a contract for the feudal classes. Between lords and Knights, the Knights has an oath of loyalty and military services to the lord. In return for protection the lord gave the knight a gift such as armor, weapons, or horses but a typical gift was land. With this land the knight could that from the people who lived on the land and was entitled to rule them. (S11 9). (STEWE-2) To meet their kings obligations lords divided, or subdivided their countries among vassals of their own, even the land for these Knights were too large for one to run by them self so it was subdivided even more until the lowest rank of vassals owned land that they ran. (S11 10) . (SIP-B) Serfs had oaths to their lords and the manors to live on, they would work to get something in return but they weren't technically bound to it. (STEWE-1) Serfs were technically free to leave but there was no promise that there would be better work or living conditions anywhere else if they didn't leave they would lose a way to feed themselves and their families so everyone stayed. (S15 25). (STEWE-2) Manors were occupied by serfs who were essentially laborers with limited rights. Serfs had an oath to remain on the land and give a portion of their yearly harvest or earning to their lord. The land they had was usually lived on for generations of the family and no one ever left the manor. (S12 3). (CS) lastly, there were many laws and oaths that were the glue that healed feudalism together,menthol them there would have been chaos and no order to run the classes. (MIP) Although feudalism was a strong way to organize social classes, the Black Plague was a huge contributing factor to why it fell. (SIP-A) The Black Plague affected many beliefs which affected the feudal system. (STEWE-1) People in the middle ages all thought it was very important to die in a proper way. It was believed that if a final confession to a priest wasn’t made and if they weren’t buried properly that they would go to hell.But so many priests died to the Plague that it simply wasn’t possibly. (S6 60). (STEWE-2) Richer classes, like nobles were less likely to die than poor classes such as serfs. This is because the poor people lived in very crowded areas where rats congregated and ate so little that they were too weak to fight off such an aggressive disease. (S5 39). (SIP-B) Classes were broken apart because of the plague and many rules could no longer be kept because of the brutal depopulation. (STEWE-1)So many people from the lower classes died that there were no longer enough peasants to work in the fields, causing crops to rot. The serfs who survived went to their lords or vassals and demanded higher wages and better working conditions. The landowners were in desperate need of peasants because without them to work the fields they wouldn’t make any money so they met their demands which wasn’t allowed before the black death. (S7 40). (STEWE-2) Before the plague, the feudal system worked because there were plenty of peasants to work the land for their lords and vassals. Most lord had much trouble finding workers, especially during times like the harvest which were very busy. Peasants said that without better working conditions or their freedom that they would leave, and most did. Sometimes serfs turned to violence when they were not given what they wanted. (S4 28). (CS) To conclude, the Black Plague strongly affect the feudal system and was a large factor in its decline. (RTS) The Black Death was a horrible disease that affected millions of people in many social classes because of that the feudal system was not able to function and was no longer a working system.
(BS-7) If not for the Black Plague the feudal system would have worked and been able to last longer, but the depopulation of the society was so brutal that it was a key factor in its end. (BS-6) The many oaths and agreements between the social classes were part of the glue that held the feudalistic system together. (BS-5) Religion was a very important oral in the feudal system, especially the great chain of being. (BS-4) Knights and vassals were an important class in the feudal system and helped protect the others. (BS-3) There were many separated classes of the feudal system that each had specific duties and a place. (BS-2) The plague spread very fast for many different reasons and caused it to become a much larger disease that it was before. (BS-1) The Black Death was a horrible disease that took a strenuous toll on its people with its many symptoms. (R)To conclude, the Black Death was a horrible epidemic that caused many deaths and was also a vital factor in the feudal systems
decline.
One effect that the Black Death had on Medieval Europe was that the economy had fallen. (FELL)The economy had taken a blow because of the fact that most of the workers had either died, or ran away from their lords and manors. One piece of evidence stated, “As the plague kept occurring in the late 1300s, the European economy sank to a new low (Document 9).” Another piece of evidence states,” In the second half of the 14th century, a man could simply up and leave a manor, secure in the knowledge that
So the peasants were extremely poor at that time. After the Black Death, population decreased, serfs and peasants were able to move around and they had much more freedom than before. They were no longer belong to the lord, and had choices of who they would work for. Most peasants chose to work for high paid jobs. The landowners, in order to attract people to work for them, provided the workers tools, housing and land. “The worker farmed all he could and paid only the rent.” The better treatment of serfs weakened the manorialism, as well as the decline of nobles.The plague killed so many people, and even nobles could not escape. The wealthy families were incapable of continuing growing, because their descendants died. So their position could not be passed on. Many families extinct. To fix this problem, the government setted up a new inheritance law which allowed both sons and daughter inherited property.
In the midst of the chaos it created, the Black Death weakened the archaic system of manorialism by causing an increase in the incomes of peasants. Manorialism was an economic system where a large class of serfs worked in the fields of the nobles in exchange for a small share of the crops. Due to the outbreak of the plague, however, there were not enough serfs for this approach to remain viable. The death of many serfs due to the Black Death meant that the ones who remained were able to ask for larger shares of the crops since their services were rare and thus more valuable. Further adding to the increase, many peasants whose requests were denied would often s...
Sweeping through Western Europe during the fourteenth century, the Bubonic Plague wiped out nearly one third of the population and did not regard: status, age or even gender. All of this occurred as a result of a single fleabite. Bubonic Plague also known as Black Death started in Asia and traveled to Europe by ships. The Plague was thought to be spread by the dominating empire during this time, the Mongolian Empire, along the Silk Road. The Bubonic Plague was an infectious disease spread by fleas living on rats, which can be easily, be attached to traveler to be later spread to a city or region. Many factors like depopulation, decreasing trade, and huge shifts in migrations occurred during the Bubonic Plague. During Bubonic Plague there were also many different beliefs and concerns, which include fear, exploitation, religious and supernatural superstition, and a change of response from the fifteenth to eighteen century.
Because the Black Death killed so many people, peasants saw a rise in job opportunity, higher wages because of their value and free tools and resources. This is significant because it gave peasants much more power and helped them gain money and live more luxurious than before. It also made the population of landowners decrease. This was because some landowners couldn’t attract peasants to work on their land. They were forced to sell their land. Peasants became essential and really valuable. Although the Black Death massacred millions of people, it wasn’t all bad. Some of the surviving people, especially peasants, really benefitted from
In 1347, Europe began to perceive what the Plague had in store. Terrible outcomes arose when the citizens caught the Plague from fleas. The transfer of fleas to humans caused the outbreak of the Black Death. Infections that rodents caught were passed on to fleas, which would find a host to bite, spreading the terrible disease (“Plague the Black Death” n.pag.). When Genoese ships arrived back to Europe from China, with dead sailors and...
" In less than four years the disease carved a path of death through Asia, Italy, France, North Africa, Spain and Normandy, made its way over the Alps into Switzerland, and continued eastward into Hungary" (Microsoft Bookshelf, page 1). After a brief respite, the plague resumed, crossing the channel into England, Scotland, and Ireland, and eventually made its way into the northern countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and even as far north as Greenland. In other words, the plague touched almost the entire known world. So much death could not help but tear economic and social structures apart.
The destruction and devastation caused by the 'Black Death' of the Middle Ages was a phenomenon left to wonder at in text books of historical Europe. An unstoppable plague swept the continent taking as much as eighty percent of the European population along with it (Forsyth).
One of the most important results of the Black Death is the end of feudalism. The labor force was so low that workers could refuse to work, demand a wage, and the aristocrats had no choice but to listen. Peasant revolts in France and England also played an important role in the end of feudalism. The French government, in an attempt to pay ransom to England for the return of their king, spiked tax rates on the French residents. The peasants at the time felt that the government was weak, and the increased taxes infuriated them, resulting in a rebellion that came to be known as the Jacquerie. Similar events took place in England a generation later. In 1381, peasants rebelled against high tax rates and frozen wages by marching on London an...
Europe’s social structure in the Middle Ages consisted of feudalism. A hierarchical society of Kings granting land to nobles, who would then give a fief to a knight in return for service. The knight would then have peasants or serfs working on their fief. However, as the plague spread, many peasants died and their labour could not be replaced. This loss of workforce had a significant impact upon the economy as grain was not being harvested and livestock roamed free. The agrarian economy had been severely damaged, the land became uncultivated and returned back to its natural state. This rural collapse eventually led to food shortages in towns and cities.
Feudalism came to as a government containing kings, vassals, knights, lords, lesser lords, and peasants. Feudalism is a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords divided their lands among lesser lords in exchange for military services and pledged loyalty. It came to as a need for control over peasants and protection from the Muslims and the Magyars.
The Feudal system had no type of economic system in place; instead it was a mix of social and religious activities that embraced the system. This was because the
The disease spread through a bacteria called Yersinia Pestis. The bacteria itself can clog small blood vessels, causing them to burst. The waiting period for the plague is about one to three days, just to show symptoms, soon dead within forty-eight hours. The disease was a major depopulator. Just in Europe did it kill one-third of their population, meanwhile completely destroying two-thirds of China’s population, and decimating many Muslin towns. The disease flared and raged so quickly there wasn’t enough time to bury all the dead, so they mainly waited until the end and held a large memorial service. The disease itself was ripping apart the very fabric of society.
The feudal system was a political, military, and economic system based on the holding of land. The system was developed since the whole entire basis of rule from all the civilizations before the Middle Ages was lost. Early Europe was in desperate need of such a system since they were constantly being raided by the Vikings and other outsiders.
Although scholars dispute its roots, Feudalism was mostly seen in Frankish lands around the 9th and 10th century. ("Feudalism: History of Feudalism in Europe." Infoplease.) The system was first introduced as a means of protection for the king. However, as time grew the opportunity to use it as means of exchange for services between the king and vassal was found. Instead of just forcing people into the king’s army the idea of giving fiefs to those who would pledge their life to service the king was decided on. Likewise, vassal, or the knights saw the advantages they had that could be used to their advantage.