Problems Of The Fourteenth Century: Their Resulting Products And Events

Problems of the fourteenth century: Their resulting products and events

Popular revolts were a common occurrence in the 14th century. Driven by famine and plague, the peasants of Europe were driven to breaking the law to live. Hoping for a better life as well as a desire for wealth and status, they were always brutally suppressed by their cruel nobles. Of all the possible causes to this final effort to survive, a increasing gap between the poor and the wealthy, external causes, as well as inflation fueled the peasants to these revolts.

One of the reasons for these revolts was because the gap between the rich and the poor has increased greatly. No longer were the nobility and peasants people together, presents were treated as a secondary citizen, a sub-human. Nobility were defined by the way they dressed, their courtesy, how they spoke, and their education. This all served to fuel the resentment voiced by the peasants. Lower class artesian and apprentices, who were unable to purchase a membership in the tightly controlled guilds, were forced to work for lower wages. They were especially quick to express their resentment. In cities that housed the great universities, students might be enlisted to help in these uprisings.

The external causes to these uprising were the Plague and the Hundred Years' War. The plague and the war caused almost one-third of Europe to die in its bitter aftermath. The Bubonic Plague swept from Central Asia though the trade routes into Europe. It took it toll among the people, nobility and peasantry alike. During this time of disorder and fear, the peasantry went to religion for help. When they turned to the church, they did not have an answer for them. The church instead exploited the situation by selling beneficiaries and raising taxes. In addition the war was not supported. As well as higher taxation, the peasantry was also drafted to fight the "king's" war