Political, Psychological, Economic and social aftermath of the Black Death

Essay by ssmbCollege, UndergraduateA+, May 2008

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An epidemic stroked the medieval world in 1347 which depopulated it and brought a great number of consequences. These consequences, however, were not entirely bad consequences in the long run. In the long term, the Black Death created a more diversified economy based on more intensive use of capital, more powerful technology and created a higher standard of living. In short term, however, new laws emerged which restrained trade and also allowed medieval authorities to write down sumptuary laws that distanced the nobles from the working class. Socially the epidemic produced a questioning of the Church and unskilled clerics which would weak the schools and universities but later allow universities to multiply their number. Additionally, the effects of the Black Death spread religious consciousness across a larger sector of society and generated many kinds of reactions such as violence against the Jews and tensions between the sick and the healthy.

Psychologically the Black Death staggered the entire medieval world and death was now on feared by everyone and "For anyone who had lived through the Black Death, hysteria could never be far away."From 1250 until 1347 Europe suffered a succession of very wet seasons and Europe′s entire agricultural production collapsed. Arable lands were rotting and with an increasing population a more productive culture was needed to prevent famine. Europe started produced a monoculture of wheat because the wheat had the highest yields per seed. This change leaded to overcultivation and soil exhaustion then outstripped food production so, famine was eminent. Two important time periods played a crucial role in the breakdown of Europe's agriculture and these time periods affected the entire European continent. Population suffered continentwide famine from 1291 to 1293 and from 1309 to 1320 . In 1320 the average loss of population throughout Europe ranged around ten...