Feudalism came to an end for a number of reasons around the 15th to 16th centuries. One major factor was the Black Death, also known as 'the Plague', which killed such a huge percent of the population that it made traditional feudalism collapse. With so few people around and so much work to be done, peasants could move to new places are earn much higher wages. Lords, in turn, had to pay higher wages or sell their land. Additionally, this period of time was the beginning of extensive trade, when cities grew quickly and wealth became concentrated in the hands of a merchant class rather than the aristocracy.