How Did the Black Death affect England

Effects of Black Death in England
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Black Death is an epidemic that swept across Europe and parts of Asia in the mid-14th century. It had a devastating effect that was never seen before. Black Death came to Europe through the port of Sicily from the Black Sea in 1347. The port residents were petrified when twelve ships docked at the port with dead bodies and ill patients. The local authorities ordered the ships to go back, but the plague had already anchored at Sicily. Europe was going to change radically in the next five years after the incident in Sicily. Black Death swept across continent Europe at a faster speed killing over 20 million inhabitants. England was never spared the disaster either. It arrived in England through the ports of Plymouth and Bristol. It killed almost half the population of England and had a massive effect on the left behind society. Black Death had a revolutionary impact on the England society.[. Stuart, J. Borsch, The Black Death in Egypt and England: a comparative study. (University of Texas Press, 2005), 1.] [. Ibid., 2.] [. Colin, Platt, King Death: The Black Death and its aftermath in late-medieval England. (Routledge, 2014), 2.] [. Frank, Robert, "Effects of the Black Death in England An Essay Review." Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 54, no. 4 (1999), 597.] [. Platt, King Death, 5.] [. Borsch, The Black Death, 2.]
The origin and causes of the Black Death are yet to be uncovered. Before the ships docked over at a Sicilian port, they were already rumors of the Black Death in Asia, where it had already killed many people. It came to Europe through trading routes and ships. Some people at the time taught that it was a punishment from the heavenly deity who was punishing them because of their sins. The Black Death symptoms started with a swelling on the armpits and other parts of the body. Pus usually came out of the swellings accompanied by fever, diarrhea, pain, and shortly afterward, death came last. Black Death was highly contagious, which was the main reason for its fast spread across Europe. In England, the Black Death killed almost half the population at that time, and it had a significant effect on the England society.[. Borsch, The Black Death, 1.] [. Borsch, The Black Death, 2.] [. Platt, King Death, 5.] [. Platt, King Death, 2.] [. Platt, King Death, 5.]
The mortality rate during the Black Death period was very high. Black Death had no cure at the time. Everyone who was infected had a low chance of survival. The mortality rate in England during the epidemic was about thirty to fifty percent of the general population. Death rates during that time were hard to account for due to no one was keeping records. It is generally agreed between 1348-1350, England lost 40% of its population. This figure was reached after the priests recorded a low turnover in their churches which served a locality of around 10,000 and 12,000 adults. The priests experienced a mortality rate ranging from 20%-80%, with an average of 50%. In the town of Halesowen, the mortality rate was at 60%, and mostly men died compared to women. Villages started turning into ghost towns because many people died, and also many people migrated out of infected villages. Black Death also initiated the period of population decline in England.[. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 600.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 600.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 600.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 600.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 600.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 601.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 601.]
Black Death led to a period of a rapid decline in population in England. The mortality rate contributed to about half the population being wiped out, but even after Black Death, England's population continued to shrink in the next century. Black Death changed the way society lived. Once the labor force was scarce, the law of supply and demand took control of England. Previous low-paying jobs were well-paying due to the scarcity of the labor force. Women took part in the labor force because men were scarce or unavailable in general and rising wages. Many women started earning their own money and wealth in the process, which made them independent. They would later choose to marry or not at all. This trend created a sharp decline in population due to the fact women started being independent. Also, with higher wages and less rent paid to the noble, poverty became unheard. Families could now have fewer children and became independent. The Black Death also transformed the economic lifestyle of the peasants.[. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 602.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 602.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 602.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 602.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 602.] [. Robert, Effects of the Black Death, 603.]
Black Death transformed the lives of the peasants, making them into small economic powerhouses. After the Black Death, the demographic pattern of England had changed drastically. Typically, a family of ten was reduced to three by the disease. There was plenty of arable land per person than ever before. The arable land would cater to the family diet and generally improve the lives of the peasants. The animals kept at the farm would get plenty of fodder and straw. Therefore, providing around 130.52 lb of meat and 46.53 lb of cheese. These products were for family consumption. The sheep produced an average of 10.62 lb of wool which the reminder would later be sold at 0.55 shillings. In general, a family would have enough produce to cover the family needs and sell the surplus. Other sources of revenue were renting out a cart to other farm owners. This generally improved the lives of the peasants.[. Harry, Kitsikopoulos, "The impact of the Black Death on peasant economy in England, 1350-1500." (The Journal of Peasant Studies 29, no. 2, 2002), 74.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 74.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 74.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 74.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 75.]
Peasants acquired more land after the Black Death epidemic. Acquiring land before Black Death was not an easy task due to the large population at that time. The aftermath of the Black Death made acquiring land so easy because of people. It was evident in West Midlands, more precisely in Westminster Abbey. People who had landed less than fifteen acres made up to 38% of the total population. In Duchy, people owned up to 40 acres of arable land. Families could manage to till a land of about 25 acres to meet their demands. If a family had more than what they could manage, they required an extra hand to maintain the farm. This created a way in which families acquired more land which had marginal character. Families with small farms could acquire more farmland by arguing that the farm had a significant benefit to the family and made the land acquired more economically viable.[. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 78.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 78.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 78.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 78.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 78.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 79.] [. Harry, Impact of the Black Death, 79.]
The efficiency of the English economy grew overtime after the Black Death. The England economy's efficiency was generally measured with wages, land output, the amount of rent, and the commodities' overall price. Before the Black Death, there was no growth in the economy of England. The economic efficiency was independent of the population. The population between 1310 and 1490 was less compared to the previous century, but England's economy's efficiency increased.. In the 16th century where the population had started to...