Black Death

A detailed Summary of Black Death

The black plague that ravaged Europe from 1347 to 1352 put entire societies in flux as those who were infected lived in very for their lives. The death of 25 million people would not go unnoticed. Consequently analyzing the reactions of people during the Middle Ages to the bubonic plague is imperative. Victims, friends, and family felt that death was inevitable, and reacted to the deadly disease in fear, desperation, and superstition.

In the personal diary of Agnolo di Tura once said, "The mortality in Siena began in May. It was a cruel and horrible thing. It is impossible for the human tongue to recount the awful truth. Indeed one who did not see such horribleness can be called blessed. The victims died almost immediately. They would swell beneath the armpits and the groin, and fall over while talking. Father abandoned child, husband abandoned wife. None could be found to bury the dead for love or money. And they died by the hundreds both day and night; all were thrown in ditches and covered with dirt. All believed it was the end of the world." The fear that families had can be felt in Agnolo's writing many people shared these feelings during the middle ages, but primarily the people that were less fortun

The plague was not prejudice to race, religion, sex or economic background. It killed almost everyone who crossed it's path, just as viciously and grotesquely as the previous victim. Victims, friends, and family felt that death was inevitable, and reacted to the deadly disease in fear, desperation, and superstition. Reactions to the plague was ironic because although it was by far the deadliest disease at that time nobody could find how to cure it. It spread and killed with such virulence that the course of human history was changed forever.

So much death could not help but tear economic and social structures apart. Depopulation and shortage of labor hastened changes already inherent in the rural economy; the substitution of wages for labor services accelerated, and social stratification became less rigid. Because such times were harsh, people everywhere became desperate and resorted to unconventional methods. During 1370-1380 Marchione di Coppo Stefani in the "Florentine Chronicle", wrote "Servants were so unhappy about the very high prices they paid that it was necessary to make great efforts to restrain the price rises. The workers on the land in the countryside wanted rent contracts such that you could say all they harvested would be theirs and they learned to demand oxen from the landlord but at the landlord's risk and liability for any harm done to the animal. And they helped others for pay by the job or by the day. ...hiring laborers became much more expensive." This lack of peasants and laborers sent wages soaring, for the first time in history the scales tipped against the wealthy landlords as peasants and serfs gained more bargaining power. Without the common worker class buildings remained unfinished. The frightening speed

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Approximate Word count = 1178
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History