Changing Women's Roles as a Result of the Black Plague Essay

Women were unable to own land property. They were only allowed to own small personal possessions. Women were not allowed to voice their opinions about public issues. Men were the only ones who could participate in political events. Women were only permitted to participate in festivals, religious events, weddings, and funerals. Women were given free time in which they were permitted to go visit a female friend only for a short period of time. All females were also not permitted to watch the Olympic Games because the contestants did not wear cloths. Chariot Racing was the only event that women were allowed to compete in. However, this was very rare because they had to own a horse. The only way women were able to attain any sort of power is when they became the wife of a prominent man. Women were socially inferior to men.

After the Black Death, many farmers were killed off leaving the few left as a large pillar of the economy who thrived due to the supply and demand of their crops (Notes). Also the few peasants and people who were homeless before the plague were able to come back to their city, welcomed with many vacant houses that still had valuables and goods from the previous owner (Doc 1). Because of the better economy the manorial system was left behind as many of the serfs and laborers either demanded better pay or left for the many open jobs in towns

The plague had a lot of effects on society. One example is the Nobles, before the plague they were the rulers and they were rich. After the plague they had less power because there was less Nobles. Another example was the Peasants, before the plague they were poor and worked for the Nobles. After the plague they had gained a little bit of power because there weren’t as many Nobles. It also affected the population by 25 million people. The cities were crowded before the plague and after there weren’t many people some cities were even abandon. The food was even a problem before the plague because there wasn’t enough so the prices were high and the only people that could afford it was the Nobles. After words the prices went down because there was plenty of food but not enough people.

The Black Death wasn’t some minor disease, but a disease so deadly and widespread at the time, that it greatly impacted Europe’s population, economy, and political structure. Carried by fleas and infected rats, the plague entered Europe through trading. According to C. Warren Hollister, “none can have emerged from the ordeal unaffected…” This portrays the severity of the plague, and how even if your life was spared by the “hands” of the Black Death, your life was changed in some way. Many people died in their homes, in hope of surviving the plague. Although many perished, those who survived were exposed to many opportunities. According to

Back then women were not allowed to speak as often as they would have liked to. They were expected to be caregivers, have and raise children, and do household duties such as cleaning and cooking for the family. Basically that was a women's typical role, men were constantly seen as being way above women, so therefore they would always be the ones who commanded or had the final word in what would be done. Women were seen as passive and weak, and not as able to accomplish physically or mentally all that men

Women were always treated differently from men. They couldn't vote for anything. They were always stereotyped as people who couldn't do a single thing. They were basically only allowed to cook, clean, and homeschool the children. They couldn't go out and do things with their husbands and do the things that they do like hunting.

They wanted women to do the house chores and cooking while the men worked outside their homes. The poor women were the ones who struggled because they had problems like “poor

Society believed women inferior to men. They were considered property of their fathers until marriage and once married, all her personal possessions became her husband. Women often married young to men significantly older then themselves and bore children very soon after marriage. Carol Berkin explains in her book “First Generations:

The Black Plague: The Disease that Changed Millions of Lives In 1348, a horrifying illness swept through Europe, leaving corpses in its wake. This disease lasted till 1351, meaning three years of suffering and agony. This disease had many symptoms, and for these symptoms they had cures, many that were to no avail, and sometimes worsened the state of the sufferer. This disease was referred to by many names, but most called it the Black Plague.

The Bubonic Plagues a highly lethal infection caused by the microbe Yersinia pestis. This plague is most commonly associated with the plague of the 14th century, when it wiped out nearly half of the entire European population. The Bubonic Plague spread rapidly throughout Europe and was an often fatal illness, characterized by enlarged lymph nodes with pus filled buboes, gangrene, septicemia, and severe lung infections, followed by the quick onslaught of death. The Black Plague is the worst natural disaster in European History. The plagues devastation impacted all aspects of European life and was the turning point from medieval to modern Europe. The incidence and virulence of the plague decreased over the years and became limited to certain areas by the end of the 20th century. However, the black plague has recently re-emerged around the world. The expanded knowledge from genetic research has introduced the threat of multidrug resistance and a modern day pandemic of the “Black Death.”

Women were completely controlled by the men in their lives. First, they where controlled by their fathers, brothers and male relatives, and then eventually they were controlled by their husbands, too. Essentially, their sole purpose in life was to find a husband, have children, and then spend the rest of

The women in particular had a harder time with obtaining equality as compared to the men. For instance, Globalyceum states, “Women did not get a fair share of jobs or money because they were labeled dependents who were supported by husbands, which left women who lacked husbands or had husbands that didn't support them out in the cold” (Globalyceum, “The Great Depression”). In contrast, women had no other option but to rely on their husbands to get any financial support. Textbook portray the image of women playing the role of housewife in reference they should elaborate more on inequality among the women and men for the work and income

Women during this time had many restrictions in terms of not being able to vote, gain education and receive inheritance money. Regardless of their social position, they were never allowed to vote. The majority of women never attended school unless their family was considerably wealthy. Reading, writing, dance and skills like needlework were taught through husbands or parish priests. Many women however, remained illiterate. Women could neither inherit their father’s titles. All titles were passed from father to son or brother to brother.

Once they were married they basically became one person that followed the will of the husband, the wife was essentially masked by her husband. Wives were primarily responsible for housework and childcare. Women were needed by the men because they were not considered "true" men unless they were married so the unmarried men were often excluded from ruling positions that would have otherwise been rightfully theirs. Women almost always stayed at the house and took care of the family instead of working because if women were to work they would earn about half to two-thirds less than men for the same work. Along with the unfair wage deduction for women, they were also excluded from several things like the military so sometimes a woman would dress up like a man to gain access to certain opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't be granted such as joining the military. Among the poor, both sexes were known to do whatever it took to survive regardless of their traditional role. While it was looked down upon it wasn't unheard of for a woman or male to take on the responsibilities of the opposite sex. If the situation called for it the wife would sell or trade on the streets or work for a manufacturing company to earn some

The Black Death was also a way for people to start a new life, and it was also a way for Europe to start from square one. There was a huge effect on education. Many people realised that as much as they believed in God and their religion, the church was not God and that they were just taking the power. Because of this, people tried to research more about the reasons why the plague spread. Therefore, medicals schools were opened and there were many more doctors than before. Technology and machines improved and developed because of the lack of workers on the fields. The idea of feudalism was also faltering as many of the lords had died from the plague. Peasants were more free and they were also let loose from the bounds tying them to the lands. Instead, people started going towards of humanism and ideas of working for the benefits of oneself. There is evidence that can back this up. In Russia, the plague did not have as much as an effect and the feudal system continued until the 19th century.