The Black Plague significantly improved the economic condition of medieval Europe, creating new opportunities that led to profound changes in its structure and society. The large number of deaths significantly reduced the number of labor services that were available. As a result, workers were more willing to feed themselves and their families, received more freedom and an overall higher standard of living, as they began to demand from their employers higher wages, better working conditions and fewer responsibilities. This ultimately ended the feudal system and fueled the rise of capitalism in Europe.
In The Black Death essay, Joseph Byrne emphasizes the redistribution of concentrated wealth through survivor inheritance. Combined with higher wages, Europeans bought better food, more fashionable clothing, jewelry and other luxury items. This led to a decline in the upper class and caused a strong relative growth of the middle peasant classes, creating what is known today as the middle class.
As European cities grew, the demand for professional and skilled trade workers increased. This has prompted cities to make special offers, including immediate citizenship, and tax exemptions for rural populations to facilitate their relocation. This has created many job opportunities for Europeans, especially those pursuing the kind of career that was in demand.
Growth of Capitalism
The contributions of many peasants who moved to cities in the years following the Black Death may have contributed to the growth of capitalism. The technological development initiated by this disease has benefited the society and economy of Europe, as it was able to provide practical applications to meet the needs and requirements of people. As the demand for books grew, the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg made books more accessible to the general public, which allowed the average person to receive information and news about the world around them.
There were also improvements in military technology as wages and the need for soldiers rose. The newly introduced weapons have made Europe stronger, providing security and benefiting its people militarily and financially. In his book The Black Death, Robert Gottfried explains that it was the increased demand for the metal for weapons and ingots that caused a general expansion in the mining industry. It fueled the rise of the industrial age by providing the resources needed for technological innovation that benefited the people of medieval Europe economically, financially, and medically.
Control and Prevent Subsequent Diseases
The plague disease has revolutionized medical advances, ideas, and practices that have enabled the people of Europe to control and prevent subsequent diseases with a more scientific approach. Close attention was paid to the practical physical sciences and clinically oriented medicine, which was reflected in the growing influence of surgeons, like prayer and traditional medicine failed to cure disease.
Thus, people were provided with a good starting point for starting treatment for various diseases. In Force, Violence, and Mass Death in the Pre- and Post-Modern Era, Samuel K. Cohn, Jr. explains that The Black Plague provided doctors with new practical experiences. Before the plague, human anatomy remained a mystery, since dissection of human corpses was prohibited.
However, in 1348, the ban was lifted, allowing doctors to better understand the cause of the Black Death. The discoveries made during this period became the basis of all medical developments in Europe, which allowed people to protect themselves from future outbreaks. In his book The Black Death, Robert Gottfried also describes the revolutionary role of hospitals after the Black Plague. This gave the people of Europe a place where they could be treated for their illness, instead of being left to die. The search for a cure has opened the door to human curiosity, which has led to the enviable development of modern medicine.