Week 5: Notes and Slides (10) Flashcards
Define Proto-Urbanization:
The shift toward urban living and organization, accelerated after the Black Death as fewer people were needed on farms and more opportunities emerged in towns and cities.
Define Feudalism
A hierarchical social and economic system in medieval Europe, based on land ownership and labor obligations, which began to decline after the Black Death due to labor shortages and social upheaval.
How did the high mortality rate during the Black Death affect labor dynamics in Europe?
With fewer people available to work, labor became scarce, empowering peasants to demand better conditions and wages, which ultimately weakened the feudal system.
Why was the impact of the Black Death particularly severe in cities like Florence?
Florence lost up to 75% of its population in a single year, as it did not enforce quarantine measures seriously. This led to massive burials and a deep sense of apocalyptic fear, affecting social and religious beliefs
What was one major reason urban areas recovered more quickly than rural areas after the Black Death?
A) Urban areas had more advanced medical facilities
B) Fewer people needed to work on farms, so labour shifted to cities
C) Rural areas had fewer natural resources
D) Cities received more government support
B
How did the Black Death indirectly contribute to the Renaissance?
A) It caused people to shift focus from the afterlife to human potential and achievement
B) It led to a focus on religious devotion and afterlife preparations
C) It encouraged people to abandon cities and return to nature
D) It reinforced the power of feudal lords and religious authorities
A
True or False: The Black Death led to economic opportunities for peasants as they could negotiate better terms due to labour shortages.
Answer: True
Reason: With a reduced workforce, peasants had more leverage to negotiate better wages and conditions, weakening the feudal system.
True or False: Post-plague, urban populations quickly returned to their previous levels due to rapid recovery efforts
Answer: False
Reason: Although urban areas recovered faster than rural areas, overall population levels took a long time to rebound, and the social fabric had fundamentally changed.
Explain how the Black Death led to the decline of feudalism in Europe.
The massive population loss made labour scarce, giving peasants more bargaining power.
This undermined the rigid social structure of feudalism, as peasants could demand better wages and conditions, eventually leading to its decline.
Describe the shift in religious beliefs and practices as a result of the Black Death’s impact on burials.
Due to the overwhelming number of deaths, many people were buried in mass graves without receiving last rites, causing a crisis of faith.
This shift contributed to a focus on humanism and the Renaissance, as people began to emphasize life on earth rather than the afterlife.
What was the estimated death toll of the plague in Europe?
Approximately 1 in 3 people, or about 33% of the population, died due to the plague.
Post-plague which recovered quicker urban or countryside
Urban areas recover quicker than the countryside
