The Black Death

Term Paper # 45461

The Black Death

An exploration of the social, political and cultural effects of the Black Death on peasants and laborers in in late 14th century England.

1,978 words () | 12 sources | APA | 2003 United Kingdom

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the impact of the Black Death and subsequent epidemics on the conditions of laborers, craftsmen and other peasants in late 14th century England. It examines how the Black Death meant a great deal of change for the peasant and laborer populations of England. It discusses how as well as increasing existing trends such as the leasing off of lords' lands. The plague had many effects in which the laborers and peasantry challenged the existing elites through issues such as increased wage demands and a widespread questioning of the power held by the Church.

From the Paper:

"Trends among the conditions of the peasantry that are often attributed to the plague include an increase in the cost of labor that resulted in many landlords renting out their land for others to cultivate it rather than employing peasants to work on the land. Although, after the Plague it is clear that the number of peasants renting land from their lords increased, Myers suggests that Lords had began leasing demesnes before the black death because of an economic depression. Before the Black Death the growth of the population put a strain on resources and there was a slump in the economy. The Landlords increased the labor obligations of peasants in an effort to increase production."