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Short Term Consequences 1. Crops and farms ruined 2. Death (1/3 of the European population was wiped out) 3. Suburbanization (people fled cities in order to avoid contracting the plague. 4. Thousands of Jews slaughtered (some Christians blamed them for the plague) Long Term Consequences 1. Some social roles of the Church were replaced by secular ones 2. Power of kings is increased, while the power of feudal lords is decreased 3. Poverty was decreased as the demand for labor increased. 4. Economy declines, setting the stage for great economic change in the next couple of centuries.
A doctor during the time of the plague
The Black Death
In the autumn of 1347, a fleet of Genoese trading ships landed in Sicily. These ships unwittingly carried a disease with them: the Black Death, one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. It ravished Europe during the mid-1300s, bringing terror, hysteria, and death wherever it went.
Immediate Reactions 1. Some people looked towards superstition for answers. They carried herbs and spices to ward off the stench of death, avoided Jews, and avoided luxuries. 2. Other people, thinking that the world would end, indulged themselves with luxury. They ate a lot, partied often, and lived with a disregard for rules. 3. Others believed that the plague was God's punishment, so they turned towards living a life of religious repentence. Some people even beat themselves in order to demonstrate their repentence (see left).
A man with the boils typical of a person suffering from the plague
Effect of the Black Death Religion: There was a move out of the faith-based system of the Middle Ages. Instead, people becan to develop an interest in medicine and scientific data. This began the transition into the Renaissance. Society: Serfs got higher wages because the demand for labor was higher. There was an increase in the size of the middle class, undermining feudalism and incrasing the power of the kings. Economy: The Black Death disrupted the European economy. Debtors and their families died, and their creditors had no one to collect from. Guilds lost their members, and there was a severe loss of labor. Politics: The power of kings grew greatly due to the rise in the middle class.
