How Did the Black Death Affect European Societies of the Fourteenth Century

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HIST1601 MAJOR ESSAY – How did the Black Death affect European societies of the fourteenth century? In this essay, I intend to argue how the Black Death affected a certain European society in the fourteenth century, Namely England. My main key points will be regarding religion in society and changes to the peasant/worker class within English society. I will argue that the Church lost much of its legitimacy within English society during and after the Black Death and why this occurred. I will also seek to explain how what was a plentiful labour market in England, became a labour shortage during and after the Black Death. This gave greater power to workers and caused the upper classes to act to curb the newfound sense of self-worth and empowerment of the lower class. This social upheaval had profound impacts on England in Europe at the time and in the future. The Black Death was a pandemic that spread across Europe the Middle East and Asia during 1347 to 1351. Black Death is also known as the Bubonic Plague from a bacterium scientifically named “Y. Pestis”, that is found in fleas. These fleas fed on rats, which facilitated their spread between Asia and Europe, the fleas fed on people along the places of their journeys causing infection (Peschke 2007). Black Death reduced the population of Europe by a staggering s amount, It is estimated that approximately 20 million people across Europe were wiped out. (Peschke 2007) In European society the Church was a symbol of authority and power; local clergymen were considered representatives of the Pope and God himself. During the crisis of the Black Death Clergymen and other Church representative were dying just like everyone else. In some places Clergymen and Church representatives fell victim even more so, because many poor people who were infected would seek help and aid from Churches and Church based

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