Padma has written a paper on the effects of the Black Death, a plague that struck Europe in 1347 and killed millions of people. She focused on three major results of the plague: • A smaller population after the plague led to higher wages and greater independence for workers. • The power of the Catholic Church weakened because so many members had died and others had lost their faith. • A lack of farm workers led more people to raise livestock rather than planting crops, changing the European diet. Read her conclusion: It does not seem right to say that an experience as horrifying as the Black Death had any “good” sides. Still, the changes that followed the plague improved the lives of peasants. People who had previously lived in poverty, forced to work for a single employer, now had higher wages and the freedom to change jobs. Even so, the continent had been devastated and would take many years to recover. Which statement best evaluates her conclusion? A.
Answers
Consequences of the Black Death included a series of religious, social, and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1347 and 1350 with 30% to 65% of the population killed. It reduced world population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million. It took 80 and in some areas more than 150 years for Europe's population to recover.
From the perspective of many of the survivors, however, the impact was much more benign, for their labor was in higher demand. Hilton has argued that those English peasants who survived found their situation to be much improved. For English peasants, the 15th century was a golden age of prosperity and new opportunities. The land was plentiful, wages high, and serfdom had all but disappeared. A century later, as population growth resumed, the peasants again faced deprivation and famine