Black Death History Essay Research Paper Coursework (Essay Sample)

Black Death
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Black Death
The middle of the 14th century was characterized by one of the most severe plagues known in history. Originating first in East Asia, the plague spread across the continents, claiming the lives of hundreds of millions of people, both painfully and swiftly. The Black Death managed to continue on its mortally disastrous path unabated for years. The consequences brought about by the plague were momentous and are still as relevant today as they were in the 14th century. One of these ramifications emanating from the sustained death and destruction was the unprecedented decrease of Europe’s population. Although the large-scale mortality cases are regrettable, the Black Death prompted people to change their approach towards economics and education, reinforced social mobility and facilitated the rise of free-thinkers.
Before the plague, Medieval Europeans primarily adhered to the tenets of the feudal economic system. According to DeWitte et al. (2017), feudalism, as practiced in Medieval Europe at and around the time of the Black Death, was based on fiefdom whereby monarchs maintained absolute control over all land with the direct aid of wealthy men known as lords. Consequently, the population was significantly stratified, whereby most Medieval Europeans, the majority of them being peasants,