The Black Death is the name later given to the epidemic of plague that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351. Between those 4 years, the plague wiped out a third of the European population from England to northern Africa. The effects of such great mortality on the medieval culture and society were enormous. Depopulation caused by the Black Death disrupted the social structure of medieval Europe, promoting those living to break free of the feudal hierarchy, and question the beliefs of Christianity; all of which increased the awareness of social individuality.

For the first time in history the scales tipped in favor of the peasantry, allowing them to influence the structure of society like never before. The labor shortage was very severe, especially in the short term, and although the government attempted to fix wages, peasants took advantage by demanding higher pay and better conditions. Se

rfs were no longer tied to one master; if one left the land, another lord would instantly hire them. The lords had to make changes in order to make the situation more profitable for the peasants and to keep them on their land. In general, wages outpaced prices and the standard of living was subsequently raised. As a result the out look on life was not always one of hard work, but of self-indulgence from which developed the saying, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die".

Although the plague lasted for just under 5 years, its effects were felt for centuries to come. The level of mortality led people to question the power of their prayers and essentially the clergy and Christianity in general. The rapid decrease of population had a started a domino effect in society, influencing the worker population that led to economic restructuring, the increasing power peasants, and an increasingly smaller gap between the wealthy and poor. Su

Some common words found in the essay are:
Black Death, Boniface VIII, black death, epidemic plague, medieval europe, decrease population, faith church,
Approximate Word count = 639
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)