Computer: Encyclopedia of World History
The Black Death, which occurred between 1347 and 1352 in Europe, was a catastrophic demographic contraction that caused a massive change in the demographics of Europe due to its deaths; By killing nearly half of the people living in Europe at the time, the plague was also a major force that helped create the “Cultural Renaissance.”
The plague had destroyed the feudal system, and by destroying this system, the remaining workers (the labor force) received higher wages and created a new wealthy class of people (the middle class) who had surplus capital discretionary for art and other cultural activities. The plague also caused a shift in thinking towards humanism because existing church institutions did not prevent the plague from occurring. As a result, as people began to think differently about life and death, this new way of thinking created the basis for the economic prosperity and cultural progress that occurred during the Renaissance by moving from anxiety about death to anxiety about the human experience.
Ultimately, the Renaissance changed the way humanity experienced the despair of death to a time of great creativity and achievement (the Golden Age).
What is the Black Death, and how did it build the foundations of the Renaissance in Europe?
According to the Encyclopedia of World History, the Black Death, primarily caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, originated in Central Asia and spread to Europe via trade routes in 1347. The bubonic plague pandemic killed an estimated 75 to 200 million people worldwide.
Europe estimated that the “major mortality rates” claimed the lives of about half of its population. After the first impact of a period of intense grief and social unrest, the second long-term impact, a demographic downturn that was essentially a brutal “reset button,” transformed many aspects of Europe, including work, religion, and philosophy.The plague essentially destroyed the rural system, greatly reducing the working population of Europe.
The supply of human labor declined, causing its market value to rise dramatically. Research conducted at Brown University suggests that this labor shortage gave serfs an opportunity to negotiate for wages and more social freedoms than ever before. This new social and economic mobility created a new class of wealthy merchants – such as the Medici family – who had the excess capital needed to commission many of the greatest works of art from the period.
How the “Great Death” broke the church’s monopoly
The people of Europe experienced tremendous psychological trauma in 14th century Europe, as society’s focus shifted away from “Memento Mori” (remember you are going to die) to a greater focus on how to live well before one dies. According to the article published on UEN Digital Press with Pressbooks, as medieval medicine and prayer failed to stop the “Great Deaths,” people began to question religious authority across Europe.
The erosion of ecclesiastical hegemony (the Church’s complete control of thought) left a vacuum, which was then filled by the humanist movement, known for promoting ancient Greek and Roman reason, logic, and wisdom, and served as the philosophical impetus behind the creation of art and science during the Renaissance.
Why excess wealth fueled a boom in civic architecture
As a result of so many people dying from the plague, there was a huge loss of people who would inherit their property.
This led to a significant concentration of wealth and property in fewer hands. The Encyclopedia of World History notes that during this period, there was a great deal of wealth, and not only this wealth was preserved. Instead, it was used to fund public buildings and private arts. This concentration of wealth created a great deal of capital, leading directly to the Golden Age of Florence. The wealthy used art to improve their cities and demonstrate their social status.
