Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future-John F. Kennedy.
The Black Death was a tragic event that took place in Europe during the 14th century. The disease left a lasting impact on Europe, resulting in a new worldview. The Black Death, one of the greatest catastrophes in history, resulted in a world of fear. What started as a few infected sailors docking in Italy, resulted in the death of half of Europe's population. The disease started out in Asia and then spread westward with the help of merchants. Many factors allowed for this disease to alter the medieval world, including a lack of medicine and the interconnectedness of the cities in Europe. The Renaissance, a renowned period …show more content…
The immense amount of people who died lead to a huge shortage in workers. This lead to a huge demand for labor (Byrne). There was a high demand for labor, but few laborers. As a result, serfs did not have to stay with their masters. If a serf left their master, they would be hired right away by another master(Stolter). As a result, the people who were alive were able to claim 5 times their original wage (Watts). Now, serfs became highly important, as lords needed people to perform manual labor. However, this meant that serfs were the most important part of the Manorial system. They demanded higher wages and if they weren’t given their desired amount, they just found another lord who was eager to give them their desired pay (Ramirez et. al 423). This lead to the end of the Manorial system, since the importance of each class in this system reversed. Many peasants achieved social mobility since there was a very small amount of laborers left. Now, people’s careers were not determined at birth anymore. Labourers could become merchants and merchants could even become nobles (Sandvick). This lead people to think highly of themselves, as humans. The lower class fought for greater power, as shown through the Peasants Revolt of 1381, when peasants protested against the government’s taxes and fought for equality. The lower class thought highly of themselves, as they knew that they were more useful in society. This view was the …show more content…
The Black Death allowed for social mobility, secularism, and other Renaissance values. This allowed for Europe to come out of the Dark Ages and enter the enlightened period, known as the Renaissance. However, many other factors also played a role in making the Renaissance possible. People including the Medici family, who were patrons for many Renaissance artists, made Renaissance art possible. Moreover, philosophers who were alive at the time, including Petrarch and Boccaccio, helped lead the Humanist movements which would encourage separation from the Church. Although it is true that the Black Death was not solely responsible for the Renaissance, the effects of this disease contributed to a huge portion of the causes for the Renaissance. Even though the effects of the Black Death seemed disastrous at first, the end result was highly favorable. As one American author once wrote, Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better-Marilyn
The Black Death was a tragic event that took place in Europe during the 14th century. The disease left a lasting impact on Europe, resulting in a new worldview. The Black Death, one of the greatest catastrophes in history, resulted in a world of fear. What started as a few infected sailors docking in Italy, resulted in the death of half of Europe's population. The disease started out in Asia and then spread westward with the help of merchants. Many factors allowed for this disease to alter the medieval world, including a lack of medicine and the interconnectedness of the cities in Europe. The Renaissance, a renowned period …show more content…
The immense amount of people who died lead to a huge shortage in workers. This lead to a huge demand for labor (Byrne). There was a high demand for labor, but few laborers. As a result, serfs did not have to stay with their masters. If a serf left their master, they would be hired right away by another master(Stolter). As a result, the people who were alive were able to claim 5 times their original wage (Watts). Now, serfs became highly important, as lords needed people to perform manual labor. However, this meant that serfs were the most important part of the Manorial system. They demanded higher wages and if they weren’t given their desired amount, they just found another lord who was eager to give them their desired pay (Ramirez et. al 423). This lead to the end of the Manorial system, since the importance of each class in this system reversed. Many peasants achieved social mobility since there was a very small amount of laborers left. Now, people’s careers were not determined at birth anymore. Labourers could become merchants and merchants could even become nobles (Sandvick). This lead people to think highly of themselves, as humans. The lower class fought for greater power, as shown through the Peasants Revolt of 1381, when peasants protested against the government’s taxes and fought for equality. The lower class thought highly of themselves, as they knew that they were more useful in society. This view was the …show more content…
The Black Death allowed for social mobility, secularism, and other Renaissance values. This allowed for Europe to come out of the Dark Ages and enter the enlightened period, known as the Renaissance. However, many other factors also played a role in making the Renaissance possible. People including the Medici family, who were patrons for many Renaissance artists, made Renaissance art possible. Moreover, philosophers who were alive at the time, including Petrarch and Boccaccio, helped lead the Humanist movements which would encourage separation from the Church. Although it is true that the Black Death was not solely responsible for the Renaissance, the effects of this disease contributed to a huge portion of the causes for the Renaissance. Even though the effects of the Black Death seemed disastrous at first, the end result was highly favorable. As one American author once wrote, Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better-Marilyn