Part 2/12:
The Black Death, a catastrophic event that swept across Europe between 1347 and 1350, decimated around 30 to 50% of the population. It remains one of the deadliest pandemics in recorded history, and in its aftermath, the continent took more than a century to recover demographically. Yet, hidden within the misery and loss was a subtle economic transformation. A clergy member documented how the extreme mortality rate led to a shortage of labor so pronounced that even the elite were compelled to toil in the fields, prompting a shift towards improved working conditions and higher wages for the working class. With labor becoming the valued resource rather than land, this period ultimately set the stage for future societal advancements, including the Renaissance.