The Black Death

Paper Summary:

The Black Death has long been recognized as not only a terrible human tragedy but also an influential factor in the economic and social changes that occurred in medieval Europe. It looks at how the Black Death acted as a catalyst for the social and economic changes, such as the end of feudalism, increasing urbanization and the end of blind support for the Church.

From the Paper:

"The aspects that had so improved the lives of the peasants was potentially economically crippling for landowners. Not only did the nobles have to pay much higher wages but their agricultural produce commanded a much lower price at market and between 1347 and 1353 aristocratic incomes fell by 20% . Attempts were made to prevent this, in France for example the 1349 Statue of Labor attempted to limit wages to pre-1348 levels but with little success. The smaller landowners and those slow to react to the changing environment were the main losers, those that were able and prepared to diversify (into animal rearing for example, which was becoming increasingly profitable due to the newly acquired higher spending power of the peasants) were not so economically misfortunate."

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