Question

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5. What were the effects of the Black Death?

Answer 1

The Black Death's effects rippled throughout society, not the least of which was because of the incredibly high death toll.

Faith in the Church was deeply shaken and there were massive labor shortages and increased competition from land owners for workers. Some land owners promised more rights and better wages to tempt peasants away with challenging the feudal system; others forced their serfs under stricter rules to keep them from leaving. Smaller communities, such as villages, were often found to have been wiped out leaving the houses empty. There was rampant inflation on food prices because most of the work force responsible for harvesting the fields had died out leaving food scarce in some areas.

Universities and schools were also hard hit by the plague, though there was a greater interest in medicine and science afterwards. Local administrative bodies, such as city councils and lower-classed nobility, were among the hardest hit by the plague leaving many offices vacant.