The Plague Dbq

There was a blackening of the skin, blackening of the blood, and following this no one knew why or what started this disease that continued to kill people (Alchin). This Plague started in Europe, which eventually spread across the trade routes, and as a result, it there was a major dropped in the population (Alchin). The Black Death was caused by fleas that were on rodents, which eventually came in contact with the men on the ships and continued from there (Alchin). When the plague hit England it led to a major drop in population that turned into a high desire for labor, a decline in church power and influence, and in result it led to the English Reformation (Alchin). The plague took a toll on cultural, religious, and economic

influences (Cultural and Economic).
The Black Death was transmitted when the flea rodents bit humans and rapidly started to spread (Where did Black).

The disease left peoples' blood black, thick, and smelly with green stuff in it (Alchin). It is said that the Black Death started in Chine or Central Asia, which later spread to Crimea through the Silk Road (Where did Black). ‘‘The Silk Road was a network of trade routes, formally established during the Han Dynasty of China, which linked the regions of the world in commerce’’ (Joshua). The disease continued to follow the trade routes to every county (Alchin). From Crimea, most likely the Black Death was transmitted when rat fleas were on merchant ships (Where did Black). This is how the plague spread to the European port city and progressed (History.com

Staff).
‘‘In Medieval England, the Black Death was to kill 1.5 million people out of an estimated total of 4 million people between 1348 and 1350’’ (History Learning Site). The plague had seemed to have travelled across the south bubonic during the summer and got worse during the winter (Dr. Mike). It has been said that Bristol or others to Dorset were where the plague reached England (Britain Express). ‘‘Bristol was the second largest city in Britain and was the principal port of entry for the West Country. Within it lived upwards of 10,000 souls, tightly packed together in conditions that were not altogether sanitary’’ (Dr. Mike). In conditions like Bristol the plague was guaranteed to spread (Dr. Mike). Channel Islands were also taking part in the plague and this spread the disease uncontrollably speed with major consequences (Dr. Mike). The plague took a big toll on farmers (History Learning Site). The field went unplowed, the harvest was not coming, and animals were lost all because of the death of a man (History Learning Site). Villages faced starvation and could not provide which lead to food shortages in towns and cities (History Learning Site). The lords turned to sheep farming as grain farming lessen and this kept people short of grain like bread (History Learning Site). This caused food prices to go up and more hardships for the poor (History Learning Site). Peasants that survived felt that God protected them and decided to take an opportunity to improve their lifestyle (History Learning Site). The Feudal law was to keep peasants on the land which the lords tried to encourage them to leave and work with them (History Learning Site). The peasants knew that they could get higher wages from the lords (History Learning Site). They tried to create the Ordinances of Labourers to bring back down the waged, but the shortage of workers did not help this. (Britain Express). The government also made Statute of Labourers to prevent peasant looking for a better deal and this stated that ‘’ No peasants could be paid more than the wages paid in 1346. No lord or master should offer more wages than paid in 1346. No peasants could leave the village they belonged to’’ (History Learning Site). Many peasants did not listen, knowing they would be punished which later they boiled up anger and they started the Peasant Revolt (History Learning Site). ‘‘The short term economic prosperity did not last; the underlying feudal structure of society had not changed, and by the mid-15th century standards of living had fallen again. Yet for most levels of English society the Black Death represented a massive upheaval, one which changed the face of English society in a profound way’’ (Britain Express).
The Black Death caused a lot of cultural, religious and economic effects negatively and positively.

‘’These changes were both positive and negative and contributed to conditions favorable to the decline of feudalism, the end of the Middle Ages and the emergence of the Renaissance’’(Cultural and Economic). The Church could not save people, nor come up with a reason why this plague was here, which had people questioning their beliefs (Cultural and Economic). Doctors could not even understand the disease, nor how it transpired, which led people to thinking supernatural powers the cause (Cultural and Economic). It was easy for people to point fingers and blame people and lose faith (Cultural and Economic). Many people believed the plague was some kind of punishment from God for their sins such as greed, blasphemy, heresy, fornication and worldliness (History.com Staff). The only way they thought they could end this plague was to win God’s forgiveness (History.com Staff). ‘‘Some people believed that the way to do this was to purge their communities of heretics and other troublemakers–so, for example, many thousands of Jews were massacred in 1348 and 1349’’(History.com Staff). This massacred was because it was told that the Jews were trying to kill off the Christians (Ken). Jews were usually merchants and merchants were the ones that carried the infected rodents (Cultural and Economic). Another way people tried to make amends was by whipping or beating themselves

(Cultural and Economic). There was a loss of power and influence of the church (Cultural and Economic). The cultural influences were seen through their art and literature (Cultural and Economic). There was more of a dark vibe and tone to help deal with the tragedy (Cultural and Economic). An example of this would be Boccaccio set his Decameron during this time and it was portrayed as the hopelessness of people who gave up (Cultural and Economic). The art displayed hopelessness, death and destruction (Cultural an Economic). There was a severe drop in the population and in the economy (Cultural and Economic). This has resulted in an inflation of food prices, rise in wages, need for serfs, needs were raised (Social and Economic).
The Black Death caused a lot of destruction to whoever got in its path. It spread through the trade routes by the rodents with fleas (Alchin). The Black Death was caused by rodents that were bitten by fleas that later carried to humans and it went from there (Alchin). The Black Death also took great effect on England, which led to revolts and the English Reformation (Alchin). Lastly the Black Death had a great effect on cultural, religious, and the economy (Cultural and Economics). At that point of time no one knew the cause of the disease and they lack hygiene, which helped spread bacteria (Ken).