Black Death Turning Point Essay

The Black Death was a true historical turning point in European history. It was a fast spreading, fatal disease which compared to smallpox took 25 million more lives than the outbreak of smallpox. While some historians debate over the fact whether it made a long lasting change to European everyday lives, there is overwhelming evidence to support the fact that the Black Death was truly a turning point in history with the improvement of medical practices, the change of the economy, the weakening of feudalism and the first stages of doubting the Church. With these changes to European life it can be safe to vouch that the Black Death was a historical turning point.

The Black Death was a historical turning point as it greatly affected the position

Due to the demographic restructuring of Europe, there was a significant impact on the supply of peasant workers after the Black Death but a normal demand. The peasants decided to take advantage of that and ask for a higher salary to do the same amount of work. Many lords were forced to comply as there were no other choices unless to do the work themselves. This resulted in the peasants gaining more money than normal and the lords losing money to pay for the more expensive workers. Source 4 shows that nearly every County was hit by the plague therefore, nearly all counties had a shortage of peasant workers. In an effort to stop the high salary the peasants were demanding the church? Passed a law that any lord paying their workers anything above pre- Black Death salary would be prosecuted and all people had to pay an poll tax. This law was not effective in saving the Feudal system and further fueled the wrath of the peasants resulting in the peasant’s revolt led by Wat Tyler against the tax. The Black Death clearly impacted the Feudal system and Europe’s future working system therefore, the Black Death was a turning point in European