Consequences of the Black Death in the 14th Century Term Paper by Nicky

A discussion about the Black Death in 14th century Europe.
# 151347 | 2,789 words | 11 sources | MLA | 2012 | US
Published on Jun 01, 2012 in History (European) , Medical and Health (General)


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Description:

This paper provides a review of the relevant scholarly literature to determine how and where the Black Death began and its consequences in Europe. First, the paper describes the origins of the Black Death and conditions in Europe that aided its spread throughout the population. Then, it examines scientific evidence about the disease and the bacteria that caused the epidemic. Next, the paper discusses how innovations in transportation and international commerce contributed to the rapid spread of the Black Death throughout the European continent and beyond. The paper also addresses how Europe, with its overpopulation and overcrowding, was ripe for a pandemic. Finally, the paper describes the consequences of the Black Death in Europe, particularly some of its benefits on society. The paper concludes by stating that the consequences of the Black Death were significant and far-reaching, affecting the status of the less affluent members of society in general and women in particular in ways that would contribute to the revolutions that took place in the 18th century.

Outline:

Introduction
Review and Discussion
Consequences of the Black Death
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The 14th century witnessed a convergence of population densities, events and technologies that contributed to the spread of the Black Death from Asia to Europe. Although its precise origins may never be known, most authorities tend to agree that the Black Death originated in Asia and subsequently spread to the European continent and beyond. For instance, according to Swenson, "The origins of the Black Death were in Mongolia, where an increasingly inhospitable dry climate forced animal herders (whose animals had been infected by plague-ridden marmots) to go south, where they exposed migrating Mongol warriors to the disease" (2007, 59). While its precise origins remain unclear beyond these generalities, the people of the 14th century were unable to make the connection between the unseen world of bacteria and the plague that swept the countryside and devastated the European population. Indeed, it would be several centuries later before the cause of the Black Death was identified with any degree of specificity and even today authorities disagree on what caused the Black Death. Most of the authorities reviewed, though, agree that the Black Death was caused by the bubonic plague. In this regard, Strocchia emphasizes that..."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Benedictow, Ole J., "The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever -- Ole J. Benedictow Describes How He Calculated That the Black Death Killed 50 Million People in the 14th Century, or 60 per Cent of Europe's Entire Population," History Today 55(3, 2005, March): 42-43.
  • Chapman, Anne, Coping with Catastrophe: The Black Death of the 14th Century (Los Angeles: National Center for History in the Schools, University of California, 2007).
  • Gottlieb, Beatrice, The Family in the Western World from the Black Death to the Industrial Age. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994).
  • Levine, David, At the Dawn of Modernity: Biology, Culture, and Material Life in Europe after the Year 1000 (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2001).
  • Marriott, Edward, "Return of the Black Death," Geographical 74(9, 2002, September): 42-43.

Cite this Term Paper:

APA Format

Consequences of the Black Death in the 14th Century (2012, June 01) Retrieved May 25, 2013, from http://www.academon.com/term-paper/consequences-of-the-black-death-in-the-14th-century-151347/

MLA Format

"Consequences of the Black Death in the 14th Century" 01 June 2012. Web. 25 May. 2013. <http://www.academon.com/term-paper/consequences-of-the-black-death-in-the-14th-century-151347/>

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