A key economic consequence of the plague was
A)the rapid expansion of European civic banking to rebuild industry.
B)a decline in manorialism and weakening of feudalism as noble landlords desperate for cash converted peasant labor service to market rents, freeing their serfs.
C)the more frequent bankruptcy of monarchs as they emptied their treasuries trying to provide poor relief.
D)the very slow enrichment of middling peasant laborers who began to dominate rural communities.
E)a long-term trend to abandon cities for the more secure rural environment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The plague caused a shortage of labor as a large portion of the population died. As a result, peasants who survived found themselves in a position of power, as they were now in relatively short supply. In order to attract workers, many landlords began offering wages and freeing their serfs from labor obligations, eroding the feudal system that had dominated Europe up until that point.

A Key Economic Consequence of the Plague Was