Economic Effects of the Bubonic Plague in England

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Conclusions Although the Black Death took a terrible toll on England in human terms, Ironically, peasants' lives became better after the Black Death than they had been before the Black Death. They gained mobility, higher wages, and generally more prosperity. Food was more plentiful because the population was lower. Owners had to give concessions to workers because of the scarcity of labor, A money, rather than a barter, economy developed primarily because of the Plague.

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How did the plague change demographics? Largest demographic disaster in history. Killed more people than the Holocaust. Affected all layers of society. Before the plague, the population was high, peasants' wages were low and rents and prices were high. As workers died, it became more difficult to find people to till the land and work on feudal manors. Peasants became able to move from place to place to find higher wages. Wages rose 12-28 percent after the Black Death. Land rents and prices became lower as more land became available because of all the deaths. Before the plague, the population was high, peasants' wages were low and rents and prices high. As workers died, it became more difficult to find people to till the land and work on feudal manors. Peasants became able to move from place to place to find higher wages. Wages rose 12-28 percent after the Black Death. Land rents and prices became lower as more land became available because of all the deaths.

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The bubonic plague that struck Europe during the 1300s, though it caused terrible suffering and devastation, ironically had a positive effect on the workers of Europe, who prospered because of the shortage of labor caused by the population decline.

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What Happened? The plague originally began in Asia, and spread to Europe. The cycle of the plague is as follows: Inside of the rats lived a type of bacteria called Yersinia pestis. The rats infected the fleas that bit them for food. Once a flea bit a human, it would through up the blood of the rat, injecting the human with the Plague. The biggest problem with the Black Death was the contagiousness. Once someone in your household contracted the Plague, you'd be sure that everyone else in your house would as well. If you are dying of the plague today, that would be extremely unfortunate; but if you were dying of the plague in the 13 to 14 hundreds, you were just doing what all of your neighbors were. So lethal was the disease that people were known to go to bed well, and die before they woke.

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What impact did the bubonic plague have on the economics of England? The population decline caused by the bubonic plague that struck Europe during the 1300s ironically had a positive effect on the workers of Europe, who prospered because of the shortage of labor.

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What were its economic effects? Before the plague, the population was high, peasants' wages were low and rents and prices high As workers died, it became more difficult to find people to till the land and work on feudal manors. Peasants became able to move from place to place to find higher wages. Wages rose 12-28 percent after the Black Death. Land rents and prices became lower as more land became available because of all the deaths. In England, the government tried to keep wages from rising by enacting a law that tried to force workers to accept the same pay they had been given before the plague; however, employers desperate for workers evaded the law by giving their farm laborers more food and provisions and by giving them better conditions. The workers were then able to negotiate for the highest pay and the best working conditions and could move to wherever the best conditions were offered. Landowners also shifted to less labor intensive farming endeavors like sheep farming instead of crop farming.