Middle Ages Regents Practice

What was a direct result of the Black Death in Europe?

1. The rate of urbanization increased.

2. A shortage of workers developed.

3. Food crops had to be imported from the Americas.

4. German states dominated trade in the eastern Mediterranean.

The correct answer is: A shortage of workers developed.

The aftermath of the Black Death in Europe led to a significant reduction in the population, resulting in a labor shortage. With so many people succumbing to the plague, there were not enough workers to sustain agricultural and industrial production. This shortage forced landowners and employers to offer better wages and conditions to attract labor, fundamentally altering the social and economic landscape of the time. As a result, many workers gained more bargaining power, which contributed to the gradual decline of the feudal system and the rise of more modern labor dynamics. In contrast, the other options do not directly link to the immediate consequences of the Black Death. Urbanization processes were already underway prior to the plague, and while there may have been an urban shift due to the changing social dynamics, the main impact was the labor shortage. The statement about food crops needing to be imported from the Americas is anachronistic, as the Americas were not known to Europeans until the late 15th century, well after the Black Death. Moreover, the dominance of German states in eastern Mediterranean trade was influenced by a variety of factors and did not stem directly from the plague's effects on the population.