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The Short-Term Effects Of The Plague In Europe During The Late Middle Ages

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During the Late Middle Ages in Europe, between the years 1000 and 1300, thanks to agricultural improvements the population in Europe nearly doubled. During this time the life expectancy for an average European was 35 years of living in poor conditions. Due to the lack of jobs, extreme hunger was experienced at least once in the life of a European. In 1315 and 1317, Europe was faced with famine created with cold weather and crop failure.(text) By 1350, the Black Death was responsible for the death of approximately two-fifths of Europe’s total population. Historians concluded that the plague entered Europe through the ports of Venice and spread throughout Europe via the major trading routes. Plague infested rats were thought to have traveled from areas around the Black sea and into parts of Europe such as Scandinavia, Iceland, and even Greenland. Historians have determined that the black plague was a positive occurrence for Europe. I happen to agree the historians because Europe was suffering from many things which didn’t give anyone, excluding nobility, a life expectancy longer than 35. Most children wouldn’t make it to adulthood for various reasons, one of the biggest ones was starvation and sickness, due to weak immune …show more content…

The major short-term effect of the plague was shock. Individuals lost half of their family, saw their neighbors healthy one day and then dead the next morning. The Black Death created an atmosphere of fear, grief, and hopelessness. Many people, overcome by depression, isolated themselves in their homes. (3) Due to the solitude and despair felt by most the customs of daily life have been completely disrupted. There were few physicians to treat the ill or clergymen to deliver the dead's last rites or comfort the sick. And for those who passed away, few lawyers were available to draw up

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