What can the Black Death tell us about the global economic consequences of a pandemic?

Bell, A., Lacey, H. and Prescott, A. (2020) What can the Black Death tell us about the global economic consequences of a pandemic? In: Billio, M. and Varotto, S. (eds.) A New World Post COVID-19: Lessons for Business, the Finance Industry and Policy Makers. Edizioni Ca’ Foscari: Venezia, pp. 35-42. ISBN 9788869694424 (doi: 10.30687/978-88-6969-442-4/002)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdown have led to academics and me- dia outlets looking for historical parallels to draw lessons from. Whilst great care needs to be taken when trying to relate events many centuries apart, this chapter reviews the Black Death (1348-1351) and particularly focuses upon its economic impact on England. We will contextualise the pandemic and illustrate both the immediate and longer term outcomes of this devastating event. Whilst we can direct the reader to implications for our current situation, we will also discuss the many differences of these two global events.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Prescott, Professor Andrew
• Authors: Bell, A., Lacey, H., and Prescott, A.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Language and Linguistics
• Publisher: Edizioni Ca’ Foscari
• ISBN: 9788869694424
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons Licence