Did you know? In some parts of Europe, monarchs and aristocrats were alarmed by the growth of the middle class and the increased wealth of some of the peasant class. They passed ‘sumptuary laws’, which regulated the type of clothing that peasants were allowed to wear. This was to prevent peasants from using their new-found wealth to begin dressing and behaving as if they were members of the upper classes. In France in 1358, a group of workers called the Jacquerie rose up in revolt to try to improve their working conditions. In 1378 a group of workers in the wool industry, who were known as the ciompi , led a revolt in Florence, Italy, where they managed to force some democratic government reforms for a brief time. In England, causes of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 can be directly traced to Edward III’s attempt to control the poorer population. Although most rebellions and revolts were put down, the overall trend of change was undeniable. A greater number of people engaged in skilled trades rather than the feudalistic working of allocated land, and people flocked to cities for new opportunities. This brought about the growth of a middle class and cemented the end of the feudal system. These things may have occurred without the Black Death’s impact simply due to political unrest and the famines preceding it. Language In England, before the Black Death, most educated people spoke Latin or French. The death of large numbers of educated monks and other scholars meant that schools had to resort to English as the language of instruction. By the 1380s, poets such as Geoffrey Chaucer were publishing their works in what is now referred to as Middle English. Chaucer is considered by many to be the father of English literature. 3.16 SkillBuilder activity HISTORICAL QUESTIONS The Black Death spread quickly through Medieval Europe and infected 30–60 per cent of the population. 1. Discuss the following with others: • Do you think that the Black Death would have as great an impact today as it did in medieval times? • How could people of the time have protected themselves better? Consider their understanding of disease and the resources available to them. 2. Write a brief summary of how the world is better prepared now to combat disease and infection.
3.16
Exercise
Learning pathways LEVEL1 3, 4, 5
LEVEL2
LEVEL3
1, 2, 7, 8
6, 9, 10
REMEMBER AND UNDERSTAND 1. Explain how the experience of the Black Death changed the ways in which hospitals operated. 2. Describe an example of an action taken in London to improve sanitation and public health after the plague had moved on. 3. Many people began to lose respect for the Church after the Black Death because: A. they thought priests had caused the Black Death. B. the ciompi suggested that the church was doing a bad job. C. language began to evolve. D. the Church couldn’t do anything to stop the plague.
106 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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