Sunday, September 19, 2010

Direct Effects of the Black Death on European Society

Peasant rebellions against the knights, blame for the Plague being placed on the Jewish people, and laborers wanting higher wages are direct effects of the Black Death on European Society.

The loss of laborers during the Plague resulted in the laborers wanting higher wages, which caused the king to create the "Ordinance of Laborers" in order to keep wages at the level they were before the Plague.  During the Plague, so many of the people that died were laborers and servants.  Because of the scarcity of servants, people would not work unless they were promised higher wages.  In the "Ordinance of Laborers" the king states that a servant or laborer will perform the job that they are required to do for the salary that is meant for that job.  If a servant or laborer refuses to perform the job that they are required to do, they will be sent to the nearest prison until they agree to do their job appropriately.


During the time period after the Black Death, there were outbreaks of peasant rebellions against the knights who were in control of them.  This was due to political and social insecurities that resulted from the disease itself.  The peasants would gather together by the hundreds and attack the knights who held contol over them.  They would got to their homes, tie up the knight, and violate his wife and daughter right in front of him.  They would then kill the wife and children along with the knight.  They at times would kill the knight and roast him in the fire, and then force the wife to eat her husband.  They would then kill her along with her children.

People did not understand how the Plague had come about and spread so quickly so they decided to blame it on the Jews because they are a good scapegoat for the things that people did not understand.  Many people believed that the Plague was a conspiracy by the Jews to poison all those who were Christians.  Jews were capture and tortured, causing them to confess to doing things that they never actually did.  Rumors of their confessions spread and Jews from hundreds of different cities were being killed and their homes burnt.  Some people believed that in killing the Jews, they would be saved from the pestilence itself, but others killed the Jews because they were economic competitors and they were in debt to them.

1 comment:

  1. Need to hone your writing style. Take for instance: "Peasant rebellions against the knights, blame for the Plague being placed on the Jewish people, and laborers wanting higher wages are direct effects of the Black Death on European Society." This is a straight list of things -- remember that on the AP exam, your reader isn't fond of lists. You need to break the habit of the straight "Three examples and repeat the question in answer form" that you likely were taught earlier. While that's a good conceptual model to use to brainstorm ideas, it's a quaint format to use in writing one's opinion.

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