19349 - Social Implications of the Plague: Survivors, Descendants, and the Iberian Peninsula

Course Overview

We’ll examine the social, religious, and family implications of the Bubonic Plague through film, lecture and discussion. The Black Death devastated European families, leaving many households shattered and contributing to a breakdown in traditional family structures. We’ll explore how the plague intensified social divisions, as surviving peasants demanded better wages, while the upper classes struggled to maintain control. Religiously, the plague led to a crisis of faith, with many questioning the church’s authority and turning to new forms of spirituality. Join us to understand how the plague reshaped personal relationships, faith, and societal norms in profound and lasting ways. We’ll examine how these effects persisted on descendants that came to the New World 300 years later.