BIG CHANGES AHEAD – THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 14th CENTURY

THE BLACK DEATH AND THE END OF FEUDALISM

The time of chivalry and feudalism was approaching its natural end. The 14^th century was the beginning of new important developments both social and political. The fist important event that led to these changes was the great bubonic plague that broke out in 1348. It was also known as the Black Death because the bodies of the victims turned to a dark colour after death.

It was thought to have been caused by the fleas living on the black rats which infested the ships trading with Europe and it easily spread throughout the entire population all over England due to the lack of sanitation; a very common condition at the time.

The mortality rate was extremely high and in a very short period of time villages were depopulated, meaning that very few people were available for farming causing food prices to double in a single year, but at the same time, this allowed labourers to be paid and even to claim increasing wages therefore, this virtually determined the end of Feudalism since agricultural labourers received salaries and peasants could also bargain their freedom and move to town.

Thus, the past ties of loyalty that had secured old relationships no longer existed and a new social order was on its way.

Society’s Changes

The 14^th century, then, is also the time of a new rising urban and agricultural middle class that can be grouped as follows: in the first place the merchants who had financed the king’s war debts to pay the mercenaries gained greater political power; secondly freeman, or “yeoman”, who owned land and became rich thanks to higher food prices; thirdly those who had chosen to turn their agricultural activity to sheep farming considering it more convenient, in the first place, because it needed less manual labour and, in the second place, since it produced more work for a greater number of people – such as spinners, weavers, dyers, those who transported the wool and cloth – giving life to the putting-out-system or proto-industry.

Another consequence of the Black Death was the growth of towns that needed more artisans and tradesmen than in the past, such as butchers, bakers, smiths, shoemakers, tailors and carpenters.

Eventually all these new tradesmen came together and organized “guilds”, these associations were paid by their members to check the quality of the goods, regulate prices and wages, set the rules for apprenticeship.

They also arranged fairs where to sell their products and on feast days during which they improvised themselves as actors in “Miracle Plays”. In time they grew so large that they formed “trading companies”.

The Black Death and Divine Punishment

But the Black Death also changed the relationship between the Church and the people. It was largely believed, in fact, that the plague was a punishment from God and they felt the Church had failed to protect them because of its many privileges and of its worldliness, so they turned against it.

By the end of Edward III’s reign a religious reformist movement, called “Lollardy”, was supported by many. It was led by an Oxford professor, John Wycliffe, but among its supporters there were, not only academics but, also many merchants, lower clergy and even court members, they attacked the Church’s growing political power and condemned the doctrine of the substation of the bread and wine of the Eucharist and in many ways paved the way to the Reformation of the 16^th century.

The Peasants’ Revolt (1381)

This period is also marked by social uprisings. When Edward III died his grandson, Richard II (1377-99) became king. He was only ten therefore, once more, a council of noblemen ruled the kingdom. The first Parliament of the reign raised the so-called “Poll tax” which had to be paid by every individual of both sex of over fourteen years of age and by all the members of the Church, except friars, who had to pay twice as much the rest of the people.

This tax finally brought out into the open the underlying discontent of the population which was broadly manifested in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 during which the rebels attacked all those who exploited them and burned the papers that tied them to the lands and its lords.

A group of them, led by Wat Tyler and John Ball, marched from Kent to London to explain to the king their problems and gain his support, unfortunately the meeting turned to violence and Tyler was killed and despite the fourteen year old king’s promises of help the barons still crushed the uprisings violently.

References:

K. O. Morgan, The Illustrated History of Britain, Oxford University Press, Oxford-New York, 1984

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© L. R. Capuana