HIS243H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Early Modern Europe, Black Death, Consanguinity
Lecture 2: Society, Family and Community
Nature Society in europe post 1400
- Demographics
- Population figures in million
-black death killed a lot however in some areas there were barely any effects
(nuremberg).
- there was imbalance
-few people left to do the agriculture work.
- 30-50% of the population by the black death.
- 72 hours to live
-population increased (north recovered in terms of agriculture)
- needed people for skilled labour
1600-1650 large populations
- There was a war every 18 and a half months
- England fights on other peoples turf.
- Death in battle
- England 1666 hit again with the plague
- Also bad harvest, recurrence of disease.
Life expectancies
- Life span 40-50 (elite, noble, men)
- Economic status and gender affected life expectancy.
- Excess population helped the homeland.
- Replenishing the population with younger healthy people
- More people able to work.
How it grows:
Years : 1500 1500 1600 1650
Italy 11 million 12 14 13
France 15.5 17 17.5 13
ENG (wales) 4 4 5.5 6
Germany 13.5 15.5 18 16
Spain 7 8 9 8
The peasantry “lower orders” (farmers, labourers, rural dwellers), and rural society.
- Peasant methods of economic survival
- 75% in rural or agriculture (in europe)
- Not a business economy but more agricultural some aspects of lively trade such as the
silk roads. (italy, france, london) bigger cities
- No social or economic privileges
- Below the economic level
- Living from “hand to mouth”
- Most directly related by environmental factors or physical wars.
- Can't kill animals like sheep and pig too early they can be multi use.
- While agriculture was dominant, money based transaction and unsophisticated farming
techniques.
- Good and bad weather harvest.
- Wars affected the farmlands.
- Warming and cooling of europe 1516 and 1720.
- It was a heck of a life.
- People believed in the church and the promise of the better life because their life was
hard.
- Some experienced change during the renaissance. They got it from landlord, church or
something.
- They were too busy surviving rather than being intellectual.
The Nobility and Elites
- They didnt pay taxes if proven noble, into the 1400- 1700s
- Competing perception
- Various degrees of nobility. (french were obsessed and spanish)
- Rays of hierarchy and power and respect.
- They serve in the king administration. And go into the battles.
- Nobles were 5-8% of the population, depending on the area especially england had very
few.
- Nobles thought they had the power, nature of the social hierchy (king, noble, clergy,
peasant)
- The practical application of that theory (resistance from that lower order)
- Ex: negotiation of rent, agriculture, skill work. They need the lower class than the lower
class needing the nobles.
- Difference in legal claims
- The state takes power when they want.
- The nobles are dependant on the state too.
- 1615 those nobles given to the state, those in leadership or military or new world. They
will die if they don't adapt.
- Embracing some new ideas, marrying into new families. (Rich heiress from a merchant
class. )
- They would be mad or frustrated or eager to help the monarchy and still end up
disappointed.
- Focused on Importance of lineage (genealogy, power, privilege, money, military service)
- If they are french they would lie about their lineage and reinvent their families.
- Each commissioner checked their geneology.
- Desperate or pretending to the noble
Document Summary
Black death killed a lot however in some areas there were barely any effects (nuremberg). Few people left to do the agriculture work. 30-50% of the population by the black death. Population increased (north recovered in terms of agriculture) There was a war every 18 and a half months. England 1666 hit again with the plague. Economic status and gender affected life expectancy. Replenishing the population with younger healthy people. The peasantry lower orders (farmers, labourers, rural dwellers), and rural society. Not a business economy but more agricultural some aspects of lively trade such as the silk roads. (italy, france, london) bigger cities. Most directly related by environmental factors or physical wars. Can"t kill animals like sheep and pig too early they can be multi use. While agriculture was dominant, money based transaction and unsophisticated farming techniques. Warming and cooling of europe 1516 and 1720.
