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Plagues of Europe

The continuous plagues of Europe, the first of which was introduced in October 1347 in Sicily and the last of which of which is said to have been in the Seventeenth Century, left a considerable impression on the survivors of the epidemics. Whether or not the political and economic institutions of the time were similarly changed as a direct response to the effects of the plague, or whether these effects were just one factor among many in the progression from the Medieval to Renaissance, has been the locus of somewhat polar positions by historians. However, any set of conditions imposed upon a population that, on a perpetual basis for more than two hundred years, eliminates up to one-half of its members is bound to have a causative political and economic impact independent of the pre-existing conditions of the times. Changes in attitudes towards the Catholic Church, the state of knowledge, and the conditions of the labor class occurred. The plague also caused widespread demographic change, as well as being a major influence in the arts and sciences. Thus, the continuous plague epidemics can be seen to have had a direct social, cultural, economic, and political influence on the collected countries of Europe.

The arrival of The Black Death in 1348 caused a more pronounced reaction from the people of Europe than any following plague outbreak. The plague progressed from Sicily, Genoa, and Venice in Italy to France and Spain by June of 1348, where it then progressed to lower England, Germany, Hungary and Eastern Europe by December of 1348. By December 31, 1350, the plague had reached upper Scandinavia and encompassed all of Europe. The first reaction by many in these countries was a denial of the disease; it was attributed to a malaise of the mind by some. Morality, charity, tolerance, and a sense of duty, in general, deteriorated. Suspicion and hedonism increased as the plague made its progression across the countries of Europe....

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Plagues of Europe. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 17:30, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1707869.html