Impact of the Black Death on Europe History Essay Example

The Black Death, which originated in Mongolia and North-Eastern China in the early 14th century had arrived in Europe in 1347. It killed one-third of Europe's population. At the time, the causes of the Black Death were unknown. Historical evidence, on the other hand, shows that the epidemic had a social and economic impact on Europe. As a result, it can be argued that life in Europe changed dramatically following the Black Death.

At the time of the initial outbreak, medical knowledge was severely limited, therefore no one knew what caused the disease. Because there was no known cause, the European population devised a variety of theories about how the plague began, including the Jews being responsible for poisoning the water wells and the plague being the result of people's sins. To respond to the latter theory, Jean de Venette, a chronicler with a degree in theology, the study of religion, had captured a record of the flagellants, ‘[Stripping] to the waist…[and]…[forming] circles and beat[ing] upon their backs with weighted scourges… singing hymns.’ (14th century, p351). Because this account came from a chronicler who had investigated religious practices, it indicates that this was something out of the ordinary that needed to be recorded. Putting the beliefs aside, medical science had advanced to the point where doctors could match known diseases to the Black Death and discover that the plague was caused by the bacteria, Yersinia Pestis. The bacterium was spread by the black rat and oriental rat fleas. Also discovered later on, it had originated in North-Eastern China and travelled to Europe via trade routes, arriving in 'Europe around October 1347... [when] 12 ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina.' (Suthar, 2020, para.1). When these ships were disclosed to the town, the people were shocked to learn that they were infected with a disease. As a result, the epidemic of the Black Death had begun. Therefore, the origins of the Black Death were unknown at the time of the first epidemic, and it was only discovered in the nineteenth century.

The social impacts that the Black Death had on Europe were both negative and positive. The negative aspects of the Black Death were that one-third of the population had died and due to this, people’s mental states were affected. An insight on how people were feeling was graffitied on the wall of St Mary’s church in Ashwell, England, in 1349, this being, ‘wretched, terrible, destructive year, the remnants of the people alone remain.’ (Adcock, 2021, pg.350). As this graffiti was made just one year after the plague had arrived in Ashwell, it shows that it had taken a toll on the population, changing how they viewed life as a whole. On the other hand, there were some positive features, such as the possibility for lower-ranking people (peasants) to consume better foods and wear nicer clothing. This was due to the fact that many people in higher positions had died, resulting in more of the better supplies becoming available to others. As well, the prices of ‘Rents dwindled, [and] land fell waste for want of tenants…’. (Higden, 14th century, para.8). This meant that peasants were able to get properties for a lower amount than they were able to get pre-plague. Because of these points, it can be seen that the plague has drastically changed social life by affecting the mental states of people as well as the opportunity for people to experience better things.

When it came to the economic effects of the Black Death, it was mostly bad. This was due to a significant decline in population, which allowed peasants to demand a higher income and better working conditions from their landowners. Unfortunately, for the majority of people, the result of these expectations was unpleasant. This was because "The English Parliament [had] responded to the peasants' demands...by passing the Statute of Labourers," (Adcock, 2012, pg. 357). The Statute of Labourers is a law that meant workers were unable to look for a better job or demand a greater wage. In addition, the parliament also stated that all wages were at pre-plague levels, this meant that people were becoming poorer in this time of need. Therefore, the plague had a negative economic impact on many people. 

As stated in the essay, the Black Death was a lamentable event that changed aspects of people’s lives for the better while also disadvantaging others. It affected people's emotional states and social ladders, as well as establishing new regulations from Parliament that affected pay and living conditions. As a result, life in Europe changed dramatically once the Black Death struck, killing nearly 25 million people.