The Plague: The Black Death

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The Plague, also known as "The Black Death" was one of the most extreme tragedies of 1347-1351. The Plague was the absolute deadliest disease during the mid-thirteenth century, originated in China and spread to West Asia and Europe due to trade routes this disease was easily spread and killed millions of people. This is a very important topic because it was a well know catastrophe that changed history. It left a permanent decline in population and affected trade and marketing greatly. Another effect would be the survivors questioning their faith and deserting the church. The Plague also had a big influence on art and literature. It is absolutely absurd that something so small could cause so much damage. (www.history.howstuffworks.com)…show more content…
This vast decrease had a huge impact on the economy. Many jobs were affected due to the outbreak; farms were left unattended which caused death to many crops. Buildings collapsed and many businesses were forced to close. It was also harder for the less fortunate to buy crops because the prices skyrocketed. Unfortunately the prices of crops or goods were increased because it was difficult to bring in crops from other countries. It was extremely dangerous to use their normal trade routes considering that's how they were exposed to the disease. Due to the death of many workers it was harder for lords to find new worker to replace those who had died. Therefore it was a challenge for the lords to find suitable serfs willing to work and maintain the land to which crops were grown.…show more content…
Artist would construct paintings with dark themes that related to the lives of those with the disease. It inspired Giovanni Boccaccio a poet to write many poems and articles about the disaster that was taking place. The Plague completely changed the art world from what once were paintings of bright color and happiness to dark paintings with disastrous themes. Van Dyck's painting "Palmero" was influenced by The Plague and is very famous and can be found in a famous art museum in Sicily. The Plague was best described in the novel "Daniel Defoe's a Journal of The Plague Year." Many artists tried to fight the Plague with their art like artist Titian and Hans Holbien. The Plague had many effects on many different aspects of life.
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