1. The Plague

2. 7.40 Describe the economic and social effects of the spread of the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) from Central Asia to China, the Middle East, and Europe, and its impact on the global population.
7.41 Trace the emergence of a modern economy, including the growth of banking, technological and agricultural improvements, commerce, towns, and a merchant class

4. First, Famine hits.
In the 1200s, Europe was enjoying growth and prosperity. Then, in the 1300s, disaster struck.
Extremely cold winters, rainy summers, miserable conditions. Crops rotted, herds of livestock died from diseases...this means….
LESS FOOD.
The great famine in Europe lasted from
Many died of starvation.

5. Then, the Plague comes to Europe
The Plague makes its way from Asia to Europe.
Known as the Black Death/Bubonic Plague.
Caused by a type of bacteria spread by fleas. Rats carry the fleas.
Broke out in China around Between 30 to 40 million people died, nearly HALF of the Chinese population.

6. How it spread...
Trade between China, India, the Middle East, and Europe was greatly encouraged by the Mongols. Merchants used the Silk Road and other trade routes.
In 1346, the Black Death reached the trading city of Caffa on the Black Sea. Italian ships carried the plague to the island of Sicily. From there, it spread to the Italian mainland and onto the continent of Europe.
By the end of the 1340s, it was in France, Germany, and England. By 1351, the plague had reached Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Estimates of the dead in Europe between 1347 and 1351 range from 19 to 38 million people— nearly one out of every two Europeans.

7. The Effect of the Plague
People at the time did not know why the plague had happened. Some people thought God was punishing them for their sins. Others blamed the Jews. For this reason, the Germans expelled many Jews from some of their cities.
The plague had an enormous effect on the economy of Europe. With so many deaths, trade declined. Wages rose steeply because of a high demand for workers. Fewer people, though, meant less demand for food, so food prices fell sharply.

8. Landlords now had to pay scarce workers more
Landlords now had to pay scarce workers more. Some peasants began to pay rent instead of providing services. Serfs gained more rights. Like the Crusades, the Black Death weakened feudalism.