Impact of the Black Plague
Huge Population losses
- 25 million Europeanskilled
- 35 Million Chinese killed
Economic
- Town populations declined
- Dramatic decrease in trade
- Prices increased
- Large death rate decreased the number of available workers
- Farm production declined
- Allowed remaining workers to demand higher wages
- Nobles resisted which led to peasant revolts
- Many serfs left the manors for better jobs in the cities
- Led to the end of the manorial system
Social & Political Impact of the Plague
- Feudalism declined as peasant revolts weakened the power of landowners over peasants
- Monarchs gained more power and began to build powerful nations
- Led people to question their religious faith and the Church
– Seemed powerless to stop the plague
– Some clergy fled towns and others charged high prices to perform services for
dying victims
Cultural
- Images of death appear frequently in the art and literature of the time period
- Some people became pessimistic about life and feared the future.
– “Happy are those that have no children” - Other people became preoccupied with pleasure and self indulgence.
– “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die”
Here is a summary of the impact
