Cause of The Plague
The bubonic plague was caused by fleas that lived on rats, a common occurrence in cities and towns. Rats were very common as most cities and towns were littered with trash and poorly managed. The worst part is that the medieval peasants were unaware that the plague was caused by fleas and believed rats to be the cause. As more people died from the Black Death, the plague’s effects became more severe.
Social Impacts of The Plague
The Black Death had very intense social consequences for the fourteenth century. The fact that the Black Death reduced the population in the affected areas had far-reaching consequences in all aspects of life. People who were not affected by the plague saw themselves as the bubonic plague’s next victims. This resulted in immoral behavior and the violation of societal codes. People no longer cared about having virtues because they knew death was approaching quickly.
Economic Impacts of The Plague
All economic activity was halted immediately following the occurrence of the Black Death. Trade was the first economic activity to suffer significantly due to the plague. As the Black Death claimed more lives, farms were left unattended because the peasants in charge of plowing had died. People in the villages went hungry as farms went unploughed and harvest remained in the fields. Food was also in short supply in cities and towns. This led to a lot of unrest and widespread poverty and hunger.
Political Impacts of The Plague
The Black Death had several political ramifications. Following the Black Death, lords found hiring and retaining peasants for their farms increasingly difficult. Most of the time, the lords refused to return the latter to their proper villages to maximize the benefit from their labor. Another political impact of the Black Death was the reduction in population in the affected areas. The peasants demanded higher wages, and the lords were also cruel. An official act was enforced so that both the lord and the peasant could be accused of breaking the law if they didn’t behave in a dutiful manner. However, this backfired and led to widespread cruelty by the lords to the peasants. The Black Death had a significant impact on European medieval society. It altered the community’s demographic makeup, significantly impacting Europe’s landscape as a whole.