Although the Black Death first struck during the seven years between 1346 and 1353, its effects would be felt for centuries after, particularly as outbreaks continued right up until the 18th century. The catastrophic loss of life – with as much as 50 per cent of the population being wiped out in certain regions – had a seismic effect across the globe, whether economically, socially or religiously. The world would never be the same again. But what would the planet look like had the pandemic never happened?
To begin, Mark Bailey – professor of(Oxford University Press, 2021) – explores the effect that such enormous population loss had on England. “The relentless population growth in pre-plague Britain had resulted in a perilously small size of landholding, a major rise in the proportion of landless and destitute, and a society highly sensitive to the slightest calamity, such as harvest failure. Economic growth had faltered because of a lack of effective demand and low living standards.”
