Asked by rebecca
How did the Black Death contribute to the end of feudalism in Western Europe?
People viewed the Black Death as God's punishment for their sinfulness
Labor shortages led towns and landowners to attract workers by offering freedom from serfdom
The Catholic Church was able to strengthen its authority when dying victims of the disease sought salvation
Trade with Asia was disrupted when Europeans realized that rats on ships carried the disease
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Correct answer: "Labor shortages led towns and landowners to attract workers by offering freedom from serfdom."
Why: The Black Death killed a large share of the population, creating a severe labor shortage. Surviving peasants and laborers could demand higher wages, move to towns, or negotiate better terms — undermining the manorial/serf system that depended on tied, low‑paid labor. Landowners who wanted workers had to offer freedom, pay, or rent arrangements, and attempts to legally freeze wages and labor mobility (e.g., England’s Statute of Labourers) often failed or provoked unrest (like the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt). This shift hastened the decline of serfdom and feudal obligations.
Why the others are wrong or incomplete:
- People seeing the plague as God’s punishment was a common belief but didn’t directly end feudalism.
- The Church’s authority generally weakened (criticism, loss of clergy, the Great Schism), not strengthened.
- Disruption of trade or rat-borne transmission explains how the plague spread, not why feudalism collapsed.
Why: The Black Death killed a large share of the population, creating a severe labor shortage. Surviving peasants and laborers could demand higher wages, move to towns, or negotiate better terms — undermining the manorial/serf system that depended on tied, low‑paid labor. Landowners who wanted workers had to offer freedom, pay, or rent arrangements, and attempts to legally freeze wages and labor mobility (e.g., England’s Statute of Labourers) often failed or provoked unrest (like the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt). This shift hastened the decline of serfdom and feudal obligations.
Why the others are wrong or incomplete:
- People seeing the plague as God’s punishment was a common belief but didn’t directly end feudalism.
- The Church’s authority generally weakened (criticism, loss of clergy, the Great Schism), not strengthened.
- Disruption of trade or rat-borne transmission explains how the plague spread, not why feudalism collapsed.
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