Question

Unit 4 DBQ – Black Death

Document 4 Source: Quoted in James Bruce Ross and Mary Martin McLaughlin, eds., The Portable Medieval Reader (New York: Viking
Press, 1949), 218-22.
Note: The English chronicler Henry Knighton wrote about the effects of the Black Death in England in 1348-50 as follows: And the price of everything was cheap, because of the fear of death; there were very few who took any care for their wealth, or for anything else. For a man could buy a horse for half a mark, which before was worth forty shillings, a large fat ox for four shillings, a cow for twelve pence, ... a lamb for two pence, a fat pig for five pence, a stone of wool for nine pence. And the sheep and cattle wandered about through the fields and among the crops, and there was no one to go after them or to collect them. They perished in countless numbers everywhere, in secluded ditches and hedges, for lack of watering, since there was such a lack of servants that no one knew what he should do.
In the following autumn, one could not hire a reaper at a lower wage that eight pence with food, or a mower at less than twelve pence with food. Because of this, much grain rotted in the fields for lack of harvesting, but in the year of the plague, as was said above, among other things there was so great an abundance of all kinds of grain that no one seemed to have concerned himself about it.
Meanwhile, the king ordered that in every county of the kingdom, reapers and other laborers should not receive more than they were accustomed to receive, under the penalty provided in the statute, and he renewed the statute from this time. The laborers, however, were so arrogant and hostile that they did not heed the king’s command, but if anyone wished to hire them, he had to pay them what they wanted, and either lose his fruits and crops or satisfy the arrogant and greedy desire of the laborers as they wished. When it was made known to the king that they had not obeyed his mandate, and had paid higher wages to the laborers, he imposed heavy fines ... from each according to what he could pay. ... Then the king had many laborers arrested, and put them in prison. Many such hid themselves and ran away to the forests and woods for a while and those who were captured were heavily fined.
After the aforesaid pestilence, many buildings, both large and small, in all cities, towns, and villages had collapsed, and had completely fallen to the ground in the absence of inhabitants. Likewise, many small villages and hamlets were completely deserted; there was not one house left in them, but all those who had lived in them were dead. It is likely that many such hamlets will never again be inhabited. In the following summer [1350], there was so great a lack of servants to do anything that, as one believed, there had hardly been so great a dearth in past times. For all the beasts and cattle that a man possessed wandered about without a shepherd, and everything a man had was without a caretaker. And so all necessities became so dear that anything that in the past had been worth a penny was now worth four of five pence. Moreover, both the magnates of the kingdom and the other lesser lords who had tenants, remitted something from the rents, lest the tenants should
Unit 4 DBQ – Black Death
leave, because of the lack of servants and the death of things. Some remitted half the rent, some more and others less, some remitted it for two years, some for three, and others for one year, according as they were able to come to an agreement with their tenants. Similarly, those who received day-work from their tenants throughout the year, as is usual from serfs, had to release them and to remit such services. They either had to excuse them entirely or had to fix them in a laxer manner at a small rent, lest very great and irreparable damage be done to the buildings, and the land everywhere remain completely uncultivated. And all foodstuffs and all necessities became exceedingly dear.
8.. Central Idea (Level 1) – What is the central idea of this document?
9.. Evidence (Level2) – What evidence from this source best supports the central idea of this passage?
10.. Conclusion (Level 2) – What conclusion can you draw about the social impact of the Black Death on European society?
11. Conclusion (Level 2) – What conclusion can you draw about the cultural impact of the Black Death on European society?
12. Conclusion (Level 2) – What conclusion can you draw about the economic impact of the Black Death on European society?

Answer 1

8. The central idea of this document is that the Black Death had a profound and multifaceted impact on European society, affecting everything from labor shortages and economic disruptions to cultural shifts and changes in power dynamics

9. The evidence from this source best supports the central idea of this passage are:

Labor shortages: The document describes how the plague drastically reduced the available workforce, leading to abandoned crops and livestock, exorbitant wages for laborers, and increased burdens on remaining workers. (Lines 12-23, 38)

Economic changes: Knighton highlights the initial collapse in prices due to fear and lack of demand, followed by a dramatic rise in prices due to scarcity and reduced production. (Lines 3-7, 41)

10. The conclusion you can draw about the social impact of the Black Death on European society is: The Black Death significantly disrupted social structures, creating a temporary imbalance of power between nobility and serfs. Labor shortages and population decline reshaped social interactions and likely influenced family structures and community dynamics.

11. The conclusion can you draw about the cultural impact of the Black Death on European society is:

The immense loss of life and widespread suffering caused by the plague likely sparked introspection and philosophical shifts. This could have manifested in increased religious fervor, changes in artistic themes, and a heightened awareness of mortality in cultural expressions.

12. The conclusion you can draw about the economic impact of the Black Death on European society is:

The Black Death caused immediate economic turmoil, with initial price collapses followed by severe inflation. Labor shortages and reduced production disrupted supply chains and trade, leading to long-term economic shifts and adaptations.