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How Did The Black Death Affect European Society

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During the late Middle Ages, specifically between 1300 and 1500, European society would change significantly and in a multitude of ways. Around 1300, Europe’s previous growth and prosperousness came to an abrupt stop, largely due to a streak of plagues and famines which included the Great Famine of 1315-1317, and also the Black Death which occurred between 1346 to 1353. Plagues and diseases weren't particularly out of the ordinary during this period- because of the rise of population density, and also the increase in transport and trade. However, the Black Death stands out as a major contributing factor of change in European society because of its severity and wide-spread impact. The Black Death or the 'Bubonic plague' moved swiftly throughout Europe and affected large numbers of people (though, it mostly affected those …show more content…

Hence, population numbers decreased significantly and this would not rise again until later in the sixteenth century. In Juxtaposition with such drastic depopulation came social upheaval and also war. Many European countries such as England and France experienced uprisings, i.e. the Peasants' Revolt, the Jacquerie, and also, the sporadic battle of the Hundred Years' War 1337-1453. In addition to these came the Great Schism also. These events, jointly, are frequently referred to as the Crisis of the Late Middle Ages, and all of which had an enormous impact on Europe, thus causing irreversible changes in European society. However, the effect of these events can be said to have changed European society for the better. For example, some of the major changes in society during this period includes the creation of the middle class, the end of Feudalism, the increase in urban life and the separation between state and

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