The Black Death, a severe epidemic that ravaged fourteenth

The Black Death, a severe epidemic that ravaged
fourteenth-century Europe, has intrigued scholars ever
since Francis Gasquet's 1893 study contending that
this epidemic greatly intensified the political and
religious upheaval that ended the Middle Ages. Thirtysix
years later, historian George Coulton agreed but,
paradoxically, attributed a silver lining to the Black
Death: prosperity engendered by diminished
competition for food, shelter, and work led survivors of
the epidemic into the Renaissance
...

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