EPISODE · Jun 14, 2026 · 25 MIN
1347: What the Plague Built — Act 3
from Pulse: Origins
The Statute Nobody Could Enforce: Farm wages doubled in England and stayed doubled for 450 years. The Statute of Laborers tried to freeze wages at 1346 levels and failed fastest where no one was watching — while a Westminster Abbey auditor crossed out inflated payments right next to the seat of power. Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, the plague produced the exact opposite result: intensified serfdom, divergent political economies, and a fracture line that historians trace to the 20th century. New episodes every Sunday. Follow us on X @ThePulseSPN singularitypulse.substack.com
What this episode covers
The Statute Nobody Could Enforce: Farm wages doubled in England and stayed doubled for 450 years. The Statute of Laborers tried to freeze wages at 1346 levels and failed fastest where no one was watching — while a Westminster Abbey auditor crossed out inflated payments right next to the seat of power. Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, the plague produced the exact opposite result: intensified serfdom, divergent political economies, and a fracture line that historians trace to the 20th century. New episodes every Sunday. Follow us on X @ThePulseSPN singularitypulse.substack.com
NOW PLAYING
1347: What the Plague Built — Act 3
No transcript for this episode yet