Black Death

The catastrophic bubonic plague pandemic that swept through Europe and Asia in the mid-14th century, killing an estimated one-third to one-half of Europe’s population. It had profound demographic, economic, and social consequences, including severe labour shortages that reshaped labor systems across the continent.

Claims that use this term

• African gold traveling Mongol routes carried the Black Death to Europe
• Black Death labour shortages revived white slavery in Italy from multiple regions