The Black Plague In The 19th Century

Great Essays
A malady as devastating as the Black Plague hasn 't existed for centuries and not one of the most

deadly diseases have ever come close to besting its economic and social impact. Over 25-45% of

Europe was killed by the plague and most were poor men. As a result of the death of millions of men

across Europe, women- now fatherless, widows and some still wives-had the ability to integrate into

workplaces without the multitude of sexism that existed before the plague. In rural areas, many families

died at once and strong village communities suffered at the loss of citizens and leaders, but after the

plague, the poor managed to gain opportunities in the midst of the development of a new country. The

Jewish, who were often regarded as the bottom feeders of society, were saved from the worst of the plague as the Jewish ghettoes were separated from central society, but still, they suffered from the prominence of massacres of entire villages.After the plague, the Jewish population had dwindled and they remained scapegoats of European society. Positively, some church officials showed pity towards Jews and disgust toward massacres which benefited tolerance towards them. The economy and social standards of Europe were greatly changed as Jews gained sympathy and the prospects of women and the poor rising in importance after the plague ultimately because of the concentrated power held by individuals in Europe. Women gained importance in society. After the deaths of their husbands and fathers they found they had to take on male responsibilities.
…show more content…
There was no objection to their working as

masons, carpenters, merchants and tilers. Employers did not hesitate to hire women as the death

of many male workers left them little laborers to choose from. Aristocratic families, as a whole,

often survived the infliction of the plague. However, when there did happen to be no male heir to

a family 's fortune, daughters inherited the money. In families who could afford it, girls were

often educated of the same quality as men. Before the plague, women did not often leave the

home and were expected to keep house and raise children. This was a huge contrast to how they

were treated after the plague. As economic equals with men, women could own land and they

also had a part in producing an income for the family. These economic advances caused

changes in the vision of equality between men and women. Before the plague, if a man owned

land and had a profession and they were often respected. Now that women had access to such

liberties they were considered social equals with men and no longer submitted to following

pre-plague stereotypes. Post-Plague lacked the prejudice known to Europeans before the plague and was often called the “Golden Age” of European women due to the overall advances made by women during this time. Widows did not fall into economic crisis after the deaths of their husbands. They prospered from what they inherited from their deceased husbands. Before the plague, widows had little to consider personal liberties. “Rapid population growth in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries resulted in high population density, labour oversupply, and low wages, and as consequence most women enjoyed few personal freedoms and low status." This discontent was common throughout the woman population in Europe. After the Plague women had no such qualms, ironically, after the deaths of their husbands and other men women had more opportunities open to them.Widows successfully controlled businesses and their estates. After inheriting these businesses and estates, widows pioneered through Europe creating social networks that offered support for other women who were also starting off their own businesses after the death of their family members. Wives too were of importance. Their husbands being alive did not limit their opportunities. Women, however, did not develop any political standing. Politics were completely unstructured after the ravaging of the plague. Even before the plague, politics were disordered and lands were ruled in a feudalistic system. Lords often caused unrest among the poor and in return, the poor often rebelled against them. So naturally, widows and wives had nothing to gain from taking up this area of profession. Overall, women had much to gain from the opportunities that presented themselves post-plague and rightfully did away

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