Answer:
Labor Shortages: The Bubonic Plague caused widespread death, with a significant portion of the population succumbing to the disease. This resulted in a severe labor shortage, as peasants and serfs, who made up the workforce on manors, were among the hardest-hit. The scarcity of laborers led to increased demands for higher wages and better working conditions, as surviving workers realized they had more bargaining power.
Economic Disruption: The plague disrupted agricultural and economic activities on manors. Fields lay fallow as there were not enough workers to tend to them, which led to decreased agricultural production and food shortages. Landowners, who depended on the surplus produced by their tenants, saw their income decrease, further undermining the traditional manorial economy.
Social Mobility: With the reduction in the labor force, opportunities for social mobility increased. Serfs and peasants who survived the plague could demand better terms from their landlords or choose to leave the manor for better opportunities in towns and cities. This led to a gradual breakdown of the feudal system, as the rigid social structure began to loosen.
Urbanization: As people moved to towns and cities seeking employment and better living conditions, urbanization accelerated. This shift from rural to urban areas contributed to the decline of the manor system, as people sought more diversified economic opportunities and independence from the manor system.
Legal Changes: Over time, the authorities and monarchs began to enact legislation that weakened the feudal system. For example, the Statute of Laborers in England attempted to regulate wages and restrict the movement of laborers, but these regulations were often circumvented, and laborers found ways to assert their demands.
While the Bubonic Plague was not the sole cause of the decline of the manor system, it was a pivotal factor that accelerated changes that were already in motion. The manor system gradually gave way to a more complex and dynamic economic and social structure as a result of these transformations and the lasting impact of the plague.