Concetti Chiave
- The Black Death, a bubonic plague spread by rat fleas, led to high mortality, depopulation, and doubled food prices, with laborers demanding higher wages.
- The plague's impact was seen as divine punishment, with the Church criticized for not aiding the poor, despite its wealth and landownership.
- John Wycliffe and the Lollardy movement challenged church doctrines, gaining support from non-academics, merchants, and lesser clergy.
- The imposition of the poll-tax led to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, which saw rebels destroy documents tying them to lords, though promises made by the king were not kept.
- The 14th century saw the emergence of a new middle class, with yeomen and wool farmers thriving, and workers organizing into guilds to regulate trade and wages.
The Impact of the Black Plague
Black death was a bubonic plague spread all over England; It was called Black death because the body went dark after death. It was caused by fleas of rats; the mortality was very high and some villages were depopulated. Finally the food prices doubled in a single year and labourers demanded on higher wages.
The spread of Black death influenced the People though that the black death was a punishment from God to the Church in fact abbots and bishops were great landowners but the didn’t help pour people.
Religious Reform and John Wycliffe
In the 14th century there was an important religion reformist movement called “Lollardy”; the leader of this movement was John Wycliffe who condemned the doctrine of transubstantiation of the bread and wine of the Eucharist. This movement was supported by non-academics, merchants and lesser clergy.
Under Richard II the first Parliament levied a new tax called “poll-tax” on every person older then fourteen; lay people paid 4 pence instead clergy paid 12 pence. This tax caused the discontent of people that exploded in the “peasants revolt” of the 1381. The rebels burned the document that maintained the ties to the lend and lords. The leaders were John Ball and Wat Tyler who was killed in the meeting with king. The king and the barons promised to help them but they didn’t respect these promises and punished the rebels.
The Birth of the New Middle Class
In the 14th was born new middle class. The freemen who owned land, called “yeomen”, profited from higher food prices, and sheep farmers made money from the wool and created new jobs like spinners, dyres and weavers.
The worker were organised in groups called “guilds” based of payment of their members; they controlled the quality of goods, regulated prices and wages, organised fairs and in the feast days prepared a theatre place from biblical events
Domande da interrogazione
- What were the primary causes and effects of the Black Plague in England?
- How did the Black Plague influence religious perceptions and reforms in the 14th century?
- What economic and social changes occurred in England during the 14th century?
The Black Plague, spread by fleas on rats, led to high mortality rates and depopulation in some villages. It caused food prices to double and laborers to demand higher wages.
The Black Plague was seen as divine punishment, leading to discontent with the Church. This discontent fueled the Lollardy movement led by John Wycliffe, who challenged Church doctrines like transubstantiation.
A new middle class emerged, with yeomen benefiting from higher food prices and sheep farmers profiting from wool. Workers organized into guilds to regulate trade, prices, and wages, contributing to economic and social restructuring.
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