Disease, Particularly the Plague, Was the Most Important...

Disease, particularly the plague, was the most important factor in determining medieval, and/or early modern population levels, discuss. There were many different factors which contributed to the rise and fall of population levels during the medieval and early modern period. No doubt one of the most catastrophically devastating limitations to the population on record in the medieval times was that of the Black Death in 1348 to 1350. However, famines were another common cause of population decline, and because of their impact on fertility, it could be argued that they were an even bigger check on population growth than mass deaths from disease in the same period. It is important to note that natural disasters and other limitations are†¦show more content†¦With the population being cut to far less than a third of its original number, I would argue that disease, and most specifically the plague, played an extremely important role in determining medieval population levels; especially during the fourteenth century when it was so virulent. However, we should not underestimate the ability for the population of a cou ntry to recover, even after such a catastrophe. Following the Black Death there was more land (as previous tenants had died) for fewer peasants, who no doubt benefitted significantly from these economically favourable conditions. This led to a general increase in living standards, and ability for people to marry younger, and therefore have and provide for more children. For example, the records show that more marriages took place in Halesowen in the years immediately following the Black Death, than in any other three-year period throughout the rest of the 1300s. This is just one example, but the situation is likely to have been similar across the country. At this time marriage was primarily for procreation, and so this surge in marriages would almost undoubtedly have resulted in a subsequent rise in birth rates which would lead to an increasedShow MoreRelatedInstitution as the Fundamental Cause of Long Tern Growth39832 Words   |  160 PagesBerkeley, CA 94720 1 1.1 The question Introduction The most trite yet crucial question in the ï ¬ eld of economic growth and development is: Why are some countries much poorer than others? Traditional neoclassical growth models, following Solow (1956), Cass (1965) and Koopmans (1965), explain diï ¬â‚¬erences in income per capita in terms of diï ¬â‚¬erent paths of factor accumulation. In these models, cross-country diï ¬â‚¬erences in factor accumulation are due either to diï ¬â‚¬erences in saving rates (Solow)Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesHistory and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: FlorenceRead MoreCrossing the Chasm76808 Words   |  308 Pagesexpress written permission of PerfectBoundâ„ ¢. PerfectBound â„ ¢ and the PerfectBoundâ„ ¢ logo are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers. Adobe Acrobat E-Book Reader edition v 1. October 2001 ISBN 0-06-018987-8 The original hardcover edition of this book was published in 1991 by HarperBusiness, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Marie Contents PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PART I Discovering the Chasm INTRODUCTION If Bill GatesRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesNoncommercial You may not use this work for commercial purposes (for example, by inserting passages into a book that is sold to students). (3) No Derivative Works You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. An earlier version of the book was published by Wadsworth Publishing Company, Belmont, California USA in 1993 with ISBN number 0-534-17688-7. When Wadsworth decided no longer to print the book, they returned their publishing rights to the original author, Bradley Dowden. The current