The Black Death Of Europe

The Black Death was one of the worst pandemics in history. The disease ravaged Europe, Western Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa between 1346 and 1353 (Horrox 1994). It is difficult to understand the reality of such a devastating event, especially given the fact that science during the middle ages was severely underdeveloped. No one knew about bacteria, viruses, or other microbial agents of disease (Benedictow 2004). They had no way of protecting themselves during that time and no one was safe from the effects of the plague. Those who wrote chronicles claimed that only a tenth of the population had survived, while others claimed that half to a third of the population was left alive (Horrox 1994). In 1351, agents for Pope Clement VI predicted the number of deaths in Europe to be 23,840,000 (Gottfried 1983). Obviously, not all regions experienced the same mortality rates, but modern estimates of the death rate in England give the first outbreak a mortality rate of about forty-eight percent (Horrox 1994). That is, England lost half of its population in about a year and a half. Clearly the chroniclers ' who claimed that ninety percent of the population had died were overstating the magnitude of the plague, but this overemphasis demonstrates how terrifying the pandemic was to those who experienced it (Horrox 1994). The Black Death had huge consequences on the lives of those who were impacted directly, as well as major religious and cultural effects that came afterward.

The black death arrived in Europe in October of 1347. It was brought by twelve Genoese trading ships that docked at the Sicilian port of Messina after a lengthy expedition through the Black Sea. The people that were gathered on the docks to meet the twelve ships were greeted with a terrifying surprise: the majority of the sailors that were on they ship were dead, and the ones that were still alive were somberly ill. They had fevers, were unable to hold down food, and were delirious from pain. They were covered with big black boils that oozed pus and blood. The illness was named the “Black Death” because of the black boils.

The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic plague, was a serious pandemic that killed more than one-third of Europe’s population. Between 1347-1352, the Black Death had “reportedly killed more than 20 million people.” The plague originated from Asia before traveling throughout Europe and the Mediterranean by fleas infested rats transported through ships. The infested ships had then landed in European ports such as the following: “Genoa, Venice, Messina, and other more.” Thus, the starting the pandemic by the spreading of the highly contagious bacterial infection disease around Europe along with their imports and exports.

Owners shut down their places. Many people escaped to the countryside but still died from it while leaving. Effected many animals as well. Sheep were one of the main animals to die. Back then and still today people use wool to make their

(Source 3) The Black Death arrived in Europe by ship in October 1347 when 12 Genoese trading ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina after a long journey through the Black Sea. They were overcome with fever, unable to keep food down and delirious from pain. Strangest of all, they were covered in mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus which gave the illness its name: the “Black Death.” Overall, the Black Death killed many people, which caused a huge change in medieval Europe. This is evident because there was a peasant uproar threatening the feudal structure; there were fewer labourers to do twice as much work; and the churches authority was question.

The Black Death called into question what power, of lack thereof, that God had to protect people from the plague. It is not clear if the western church lost authority during the plague. A great

In 1348, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy. Originating off the shores of the Caspian Sea, it

One of the most devastating pandemics in history during the 14th century caused turmoil and massive death amongst Europe. The disastrous disease known as the Black Death ultimately wrenched society in melancholia and disseverment. As a result, a series of social and economic upheavals had a profound effect on society; creating lack of optimism of better days. The people suffered religiously because the pandemic displayed a darker side of life leaving them to question their beliefs. Eventually, such upheavals relinquished and a sanguine time befitted Europe. Although the black plague claimed the lives of millions and placed kingdoms in turmoil, the plague actually improved economic conditions for its survivors. Depopulation allowed wealth for many people and Europe was on its way into a new age of prosperity.

The Black Plague arrived in Europe by sea in October 1347, when 12 Genoese trading ships came to the port. The people in the town Sicilian of the Messina had been scared of the ships coming into the town, because they heard that the black plague was on the ships. So the town had thought they were equipped enough to contain the disease. Most of the men that were on the 12 trading ships were infected or dead from the Black Death. The black death started to spread around 1300, and lasted through the 1500s, it was spread by flees, on rats, also people would kill each other because they thought they might have the Black Plague.

The pandemic known to history as the Black Death was one of the world’s worst natural disasters in history. It was a critical time for many as the plague hit Europe and “devastated the Western world from 1347 to 1351, killing 25%-50% of Europe’s population and causing or accelerating marked political, economic, social, and cultural changes.” The plague made an unforgettable impact on the history of the West. It is believed to have originated somewhere in the steppes of central Asia in the 1330s and then spread westwards along the caravan routes. It spread over Europe like a wildfire and left a devastating mark wherever it passed. In its first few weeks in Europe, it killed between 100 and 200 people per day. Furthermore, as the weather became colder, the plague worsened, escalating the mortality rate to as high as 750 deaths per day. By the spring of 1348, the death toll may have reached 1000 a day. One of the main reasons the plague spread so quickly and had such a devastating effect on Europe was ultimately due to the lack of medical knowledge during the medieval time period.

The Black Death was a terrible disease that spread all throughout Europe. It killed 50-60% of Europe’s population; about 50,000,000 people. Soon, there were no more people left in many towns. Landlords wanted anyone who was willing to work. Serfs became tenants and peasants became farmers. Many women also took up their husband’s jobs, replacing them. Disease, war, and famine combined to keep Europe’s economy down. Lots of businesses were affected and debtors died. Cathedrals and buildings that were being built were left there, unfinished because the architects and construction workers had died.

The Black Death, or as it was called in the medieval period, “the blue sickness” was a disease of three types that attacked humans through rodents, animals and human contact. It was first brought by the Mongols, who traveled by sea. From there, it was most likely carried by animals and/or fleas that were on the ships. It spread all over Europe in three forms, the bubonic plague, which created pus-filled swellings on the skin, the septicemic plague, which affected the blood and caused diarrhea and nausea, and the pneumonic plague, which affected the respiratory system and made it difficult to breath, and caused severe coughing.

By 1350, the Black Death was responsible for the death of approximately two-fifths of Europe’s total population. Historians concluded that the plague entered Europe through the ports of Venice and spread throughout Europe via the major trading routes. Plague infested rats were thought to have traveled from areas around the Black sea and into parts of Europe such as Scandinavia, Iceland, and even Greenland. Historians have determined that the black plague was a positive occurrence for Europe. I happen to agree the historians because Europe was suffering from many things which didn’t give anyone, excluding nobility, a life expectancy longer than 35.

The Black Death, according to Joseph P Byrne, was “a deadly epidemic that spread across Asia and Europe beginning in mid 1300’s.” It did not take long for the plague to make a big impact on the world. “By the spring of 1348, the Black Death, also known as Black Plague, spread to france, The Alberium Peninsula, and England, following trade routes and hitting big cities first before spreading to the countryside,” states Gail Cengage. In the 19th century, Europe was devastatingly hit with this epidemic that affected them greatly then and now. The Black Death in Europe affected 19th centuries economics, population, and literature. Its effect on Europe is an interesting topic that shaped history and our lives today. This topic is widely covered as Molly Edmonds writes her findings from other sources. These sources will be used to describe the effect the Black Death had on Europe.

“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know.” Daniel Handler, also known as Lemony Snicket, uses this quote in one of his many books, the Reptile Room from The Series of Unfortunate Events. While this quote is quite morbid, it perfectly describes what people went through during the Black Death. A man could see his wife before he went to bed but then wake up the next morning and to his surprise see her dead, even though she was alive and well 9 hours before. There are three frequently asked question about the Black Death, what exactly was the Black Death, where and when did the Black Death originate, and how did it effect Europe going forward?