Growth and Development through the Upheaval of the Late Middle Ages - Essay Example

Short Analytical Essay and Primary Document Analysis Growth and Development through the Upheaval of the Late Middle Ages The late Middle Ages was a time of tremendous upheaval and calamity, due to events such as the bubonic plague, which hit the population from 1348 to 1350, killing up to two fifths of the population. This was only one of many devastating events that occurred in this time period and another critical event was the Hundred Years War (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 257). Both of these events caused substantial deaths within the population and may have made it seem like there was no hope. Despite this, the upheaval of the late Middle Ages did have some positive aspects, and overall created a positive outcome for the remaining population. The turbulence of the period resulted in a significant depopulation, easing the tension on citizens, decreasing rents and leading to the revitalization of cities. The population of Europe had developed extensively prior to the bulbonic plague resulting in a larger demand for food than could be produced. There were also not enough jobs, resulting in many people being unable to feed themselves or their families (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 258). The plague resulted in many deaths, which led to a significantly decreased labor supply. A smaller population decreased the demand for food and land, resulting in a decrease in rents throughout Europe. The changes in demand led to increased interest in expensive products produced through skilled industry. This resulted in a considerable development of skill in this time, and many people turned away from manual labor to be involved in skilled labor instead (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 258). Overall, the led to the population as a whole becoming more skilled, and to a greater desire for learning and the development of skills. Although both sides took heavy losses during the Hundred Year War, the war served to help develop a sense of destiny and national identity for the country and influenced the transition to a centralized state. The French had superior forces during the war. However, the English had superior firepower and a sense of national pride (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 265). Towards the end of the war, Joan of Arc became an important national figure for the French, leading to the liberation of Orléans from the English. Her victories were strongly due to the sense of hope and nationalism that Joan’s presence installed in the French people. Despite the devastation that the war brought to France, it led to the development of a strong sense of nationalism. This nationalism did not end once the war had finished, and it sped the movement of France away from a monarchy and towards a centralized state (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 266-267). A final aspect of the late Middle Ages that was positive was education, arts and humanism. All of these components have become an important part of our society today, yet they evolved within this time of death and despair. By the time the 15th century had ended, the deaths which had occurred earlier in the century were beginning to be made up for in births. The population was beginning to recover from the period of death and disease and there were substantial changes in the dynamics of the country. From 1300 to 1500 education had dramatically increased in accessibility, with fifty new universities being built in this period, as well as a large amount of residential colleges. Humanism and the printing press were also developed shortly after this period, undoubtedly as the result of advances seen within the late Middle Ages (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 279). These advances helped to pave the way for later developments throughout Europe, and played an essential role in the revitalization of Europe. For the people living within the late Middle Ages, the time was no doubt seen as one of death and despair, where there was little hope that the world would ever return to a good place. However, despite the number of deaths and the turbulence that surrounded this time period, the outcomes of the period were positive. The land and its people did recover, and there became a stronger focus on arts, humanism and education. These aspects were the beginnings of life after this period, and without the turbulent late Middle Ages, it is possible that our world would not have as much knowledge and art that is present today. Works Cited Kagan, Donald, Steven Ozment and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage: Volume 1. 10th ed. New York, NY: Pearson Prentice Hall. 2009. Print. Public Responses and Remedies to the Horrors of the Late Middle Ages The late Middle Ages was a distressing time for ordinary people throughout Europe and most people did not understand the events that were occurring and sought to find ways to alleviate their problems. Two of the solutions that European citizens used were flagellation and the workers revolt. Both of these approaches were attempts to resolve crises that the people did not understand and they were ultimately unsuccessful. The lack of success came from the fact that the public did not know any effective ways to resolve the situation, so they based their solutions on the little that they did know. The term flagellation refers to the practice of voluntary whipping that occurred in monastic communities prior to the Black Death in Europe. The practice was a form of ritual penance. This developed into a group practice during the Black Death, where groups of more than 600 would be present, ritualistically beating themselves. The flagellation involved the use of scourges, which had three knots and nails were sometimes also added to each of the tails. Participants in the practice whipped themselves to the extent that they were bleeding, and in many cases the practice occurred every night. The concept was that the flagellation would allow the people to atone for their sins, and consequently, God would intervene and stop the plague (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 258). Although the purpose of flagellation was to prevent the spread of the Black Death and to encourage divine intervention, it was not successful in this goal. The Black Death affected flagellants and non-flagellants alike, causing a large number of deaths throughout the population (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 258). In addition, it is also likely that the practice of flagellation may have acted to spread the disease. The reason for this is that part of the flagellation procession involved the participants lying prostate on the ground while they were whipped by other participants. The end result was that flagellants were dirty and bleeding, which would have made it much easier for the disease to past from one person to another (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 258). In addition to spreading the disease, the flagellation processions also considerably undermined the social stability of the people, who were already confused and afraid by the events that were occurring. Flagellation was fanatical, and was probably difficult to understand for many people who observed it. The social disruption that the practice caused, as well as the potential for spreading the disease further eventually led to the church making the processions illegal (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 258). As such, the practice of flagellation was an ineffective approach to the impacts of Black Death, and it served no purpose except to increase terror and the spread of the disease. A second response that the European population had to the Black Death and the economic problems that were prevalent in the 14th century was the workers revolt. Throughout Europe, peasants and workers revolted against the wealthy ruling elites. One example of this occurred in 1378 in Florence, Italy. The group of revolutionaries in this revolt was known as the Ciompi, and they created a set of demands that were given to the wealthy merchants that were part of the Florentine Republic. Although the participants in the revolt originally had their demands met, the concessions were rescinded four years later. This is one indication of the way that the revolt was ultimately unsuccessful, as it did not create any long term change in society. The response of the workers was due to fear at the economic structure and unpredictability at the time, yet overall their response did not help the situation. Europe was in an economic crisis before the Black Death hit, because there was considerable overpopulation and an undersupply of food (Kagan, Ozment and Turner 257). While the plague lowered the population considerably, economic problems remained afterwards, with the situation only slowly beginning to resolve itself over time. Europe was having to adjust to a significant change within its population structure, and this was the main cause of the economic problems, rather than the ruling elite. As such, rebelling against the elite was not an effective way to resolve the situation. In the case of the flagellation and of the workers rebelling, the European population was reacting out of fear and they did not have any idea about the real cause of the events that were occurring. As such, their responses were based off superstition and a distrust of the class system, respectively. Neither one of these responses caused any long-term change, and both undermined the social structure that was present at the time, potentially making it more difficult for the society to recover. Works Cited Kagan, Donald, Steven Ozment and Frank M. Turner. The Western Heritage: Volume 1. 10th ed. New York, NY: Pearson Prentice Hall. 2009. Print. Read More