As the plague entered through Europe, lives were rapidly and permanently changed. The endless questions about the arrival of the Black Death astonished the people who were surrounded by the infected. From wondering what and where the plague came from to not knowing what will happen, for those who survived, was a scare for Europeans. The aftermath of the plague became a massive complication in all of Europe; causing fear in the society, labor shortages, and hunger. In the year 1347, the devastating arrival of the Black Death in Europe had a negative effect on people’s lives and an impact on all European economies.
The arrival of the plague was uncertain to Europeans, at the time, what was causing sudden infections and deaths. The Black Death, by Phyllis Corzine, explained the plague to be a bacilli that is otherwise known as Yersinia petis. The bacilli is comfortably carried on in the stomachs of fleas that live on rodents. During the Black Death, the bacilli produced rapidly, still unknown as to why, causing a blockage to the fleas stomach. Consequently, the blockage left the fleas starving and in need of finding food. The fleas regurgitated bacilli to the bloodstream of their own host. With the damaging bacilli in the fleas’ bloodstream, the host eventually dies. In need of a new host, the fleas fed on “ground-dwelling rodents of Central Asia or the common black rat of medieval Europe”(Corzine 27). The fleas’ last option was human hosts leading to an infection of the plague. As the plague increased the number of infected people, it was yet to be determined how the plague came into Europe.
The plague entered Europe through Italy. Stated in Phyllis Corzine’s novel, The Black Death, from Italy, the plague rapidly spread throughout all of Europe. Moving as fast as men traveling, the Black Death reached France’s seaport location on the Mediterranean. “The people of France and of almost the whole world were struck by a blow other than war”(Corzine 41). After the arrival in France, the plague followed established trade routes. Some important trade routes the path included were England, Germany, and London. Corzine stated it took for four years for the Black Death to conclude in Europe, despite rural areas. The plague completed in rural areas on average four to six months. Due to obtaining an infectious disease in cities for several months or years, there was a lack of sanitation.
As for being an unknown infectious plague, there was no information on how to treat the infected people. “In the crowded cities, with their dense population and lack of sanitation, the plague sometimes disappeared over the winter and started up again in the spring to kill for another few months” (Corzine 42). The website history.com stated that, because there was no information on how the plague spread or how to treat it, unsophisticated treatments were performed. Treatments included bloodletting, boil-lancing, and bathing in vinegar were attempted to rid the symptoms. The website informs readers that symptoms ranged in variety. Most people obtained swelling with blood and pus emerging out, along with fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, and, unfortunately, death. These swelling ranged in sizes; as big as an apple or about the size of an egg. “The disease was also terrifyingly efficient. People who were perfectly healthy when they went to bed at night could be dead by morning”(history.com 5). Because of the unknowns of wondering if a person would be infected or dead the next day, people’s lives were traumatically changed.
Fleeing from the plague resulted in negative effects for people’s own lives and the lives of others. Life During the Black Death, by John Dunn, explains how men and women abandoned their daily duties for their survival. Whether the job was a government official or a building project, they were ignored. “Fear ran rampant everywhere. Some people were so despondent that they gave up all hope and refused to care what happened to themselves” (Dunn 49). Many people’s thoughts were filled with the grief of wanting to be with their family members, therefore; they didn’t care what happened to them next.
All across Europe, lives were filled with grief. Author John Dunn informers readers that some people may have survived, but they weren’t happy. Survivors felt guilt because they were not with their late family members. The demanding question of who was responsible for the plague sweep across Europe. The Europeans felt it was necessary for them to know how it happened. A thought of a God who punished them was how they answered their question of who was responsible for the Black Death. “With the power of the creator against them, they wondered what they could possibly do to protect themselves”(Dunn 50). With the thought of an angry God, people needed a way to make God happy. They turned towards performing great deeds or even giving donations to the Church. Penance was another way for God to forgive them. Although some people saw an angry God as a difficulty, there was a bigger effect on the European economies.
As a result of one third of Europe’s population gone, the economy was negatively hit. There was dramatic labor shortage and decrease in merchandise items. Author Phyllis Corzine states that following the Black Death, there was a bigger amount of smaller price for items; such as horses. “Immediately following the Black Death, there was an abundance of goods and few people to buy them. Survivors when into a frenzy or buying, purchasing luxury goods that they had never before had the opportunity to own”(Corzine 75). A demand of luxury products occurred, after the decrease in price. Entrepreneurs took advantage of this demand, meanwhile; textile producers underwent hardship. But, an increase in labor prices was demanded by free people who started working for their own wage. Workers spoke up and demanded freedom and a guaranteed wage. Because of few workers wanting to keep low wages, landlords made an effort to pass laws towards commitment and low wages.
Ultimately, the landlords law efforts did not work. Author Corzine explains that because landlords did not respect the peasants who stood up for their rights, they did not obtain laborers. “Peasants slipped away to a city or found another manor lord who would pay higher wage”(Corzine 80). Landlords made efforts to pass laws to enforce low wages and commitment. France and England even passed a Statute of Laborers, in the years 1349 and 1351, with the goal of landlords in mind. Workers would be fined, or even imprisoned, if they did not proceed with the law. Fortunately for the workers, the laws could not be enforced. Not only was labor shortage a major complication for the European economies, hunger became an issue.
The survivors of the Black Death and the economy, once again, suffered another negative effect; hunger. In the novel, The Black Death, by Phyllis Corzine, labor shortages caused the result of hunger. There was an endless number of corps that were unattended. Vegetables and grains were left unattended in a great time of need for food. Also, the destruction of the Black Death resulted in livestock lives being lost.