3. Late Middle Ages Black Death and its consequences

4. I. The Black Death A.Little Ice Age 1.End of 13 th century 2.Severe food shortages B.Euro reached upper limit of food production 1.Population leveled out with food production 2.Malthus-like situation

5. C.Trade brought disease from East D.Italy, France and England hit hard! E.Disease came in waves 1.1347-1351 (75 mill pop: 19-38 mill died) 2.1361-1362 3.1369 4.Every 5-6 to 10-12 years until mid to late 15 th century

8. F.Reactions 1.Live for the moment! Sexual misconduct and alcoholism 2.Religious reaction: plague was demon- spawned 3.Rise of Flagellants i.People who flog themselves ii.Seeking absolution G.Post-Plague: people seemed more violent: life is cheap attitude

9. II. Economic Dislocation A.Three social classes already starting to disintegrate Clergy, Nobles, Common B.Further disintegration of classes caused by Plague

10. C.Labor shortages (due to death) Price of Labor (wages) went up D.Price of agricultural products went down Dead people don’t buy stuff! E.Higher wages and cheaper food increased standard of living for common class

11. F.Aristocrats felt threatened 1.Dependency on laborers 2.Higher standard of living of peasants 3.Aristocrats and landowners losing money i.Must pay labor more or else have NO laborers! ii.Lower demand for products meant lower prices iii.Landowners and aristocrats losing money! 4.Feudal and Manorial systems were threatened! i.More peasants freed: Serfdom decline ii.Peasants had more money and opportunity

12. G.Aristocratic Reaction 1.Freeze prices of goods 2.Wage restrictions attempted 3.Government taxes increased (taxes on peasants) 4.Tried to establish newer obligations to keep peasants subservient

13. H.Peasant Reaction to the Aristocrat’s Reaction 1.Complaints 2.Revolts I.The Jacquerie 1.French peasant revolts: 1358 2.Returned contempt to Aristocrats 3.Castles burned & Nobles killed 4.Nobles eventually quelled revolt 5.Participants were massacred

14. Execution Of Leaders: Jacquerie

15. J.English Peasant Revolt of 1381 1.Most prominent revolt 2.English peasant conditions improved greatly 3.Aristocrats fought back with legislation 4.Immediate cause: Government imposed a poll (flat) tax on each adult male 5.Peasants refused to pay

16. J.English Peasant Revolt of 1381, continued 6.Peasants kicked out tax collectors 7.Sparked widespread rebellion: led by Tyler & Ball 8.Initially successful: Young king Richard II (age 15) promised reform if peasants dispersed 9.King broke his word…

17. K.Revolts in the City 1.Oversupply of goods and immediate drop in demand led to decline in trade 2.Bourgeoisie merchants respond by restricting competition 3.Resisted demands of lower classes 4.Where towns continued to pay low wages and prevented workers from forming organizations, revolts broke out

18. K.Revolts in the City, continued 5.Most famous was Florence’s ciompi revolt i.Wool workers revolted ii.Won some concessions: right to form guilds and participate in government iii.Later these rights were revoked

19. L.Overall effects 1.Some short-term gains by lower classes 2.Most uprising quickly and brutally crushed 3.Short-term gains often lost after repression of uprising 4.Ushered in an age of social conflict (class conflict) 5.Serfdom/Feudalism in sharp decline