The Black Plague

"The Black Death" is known as the worst natural disaster in European history. The plague spread throughout Europe from 1346-1352. Those who survived lived in constant fear of the plague's return and it did not disappear until the 1600s. Not only were the effects devastating at the time of infection, but during the aftermath as well. "The Black Death" of the fourteenth century dramatically altered Europe's social and economic structure.

Significant events cause society to change in many ways and the Black Death was no exception. The Black Death raged through Europe from 1347 to 1351 killing over 25 million people, almost 50% of the population at the time . The Black Death influenced European society in numerous ways, which have changed the future we currently live in. The Black Death led to medical advancements, weakening in the power of the church and the refining of the feudal system. The Black Death was a time of death and destruction however changes happening at the time benefitted society and led to an age of happiness and prosperity.

Among three devastating events of the fourteenth century, I consider the Black Death(Plague) had the most pronounced impact on the course of medieval history. Although, other two events were also left an impact on the course of medieval history, but there is no such comparison to the black Plague. The changing climate and poor harvests which lead to famine, malnourishment, and death was just the beginning of troublous period on Europe’s. Europe was already suffering from famine, but more devastating time has just arrived along with the medieval shipping. Plague first started from china, and soon brought by Genoese ships to Europe, which was the ticking time bomb waiting its own time to burst. It has start spreading throughout many parts of

The Black Death, the most severe epidemic in human history, ravaged Europe from 1347-1351. This plague killed entire families at a time and destroyed at least 1,000 villages. Greatly contributing to the Crisis of the Fourteenth Century, the Black Death had many effects beyond its immediate symptoms. Not only did the Black Death take a devastating toll on human life, but it also played a major role in shaping European life in the years following.

In fourteenth-century Europe, the Black Plague disrupted most of European society devastating many. The Black Plague was devastating to European society economically, demographically, and morally. The plague spread as devastatingly as it did because of the continuous spread via trade, and inadequate medical knowledge. One of the major consequences of the plague was anti-Semitism.

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, which was also known as the Bubonic Plague, was one of the most devastating outbreaks in history in the years of 1346–1353. It came from the east of “Eurasia” and traveled west. It was popping up in big cities and small towns all over Europe. The Bubonic Plague was transmitted by rats and fleas, which had the disease. Some symptoms of the plague were, within three to seven days, one had a fever, headache, chills, weakness, and swollen lymph glands. It affected people exposed to the bacteria. This disease infected women and men of all social classes. People at the time did not know what was the

The plague of the black death was a panic and disaster in Western Europe because it leads the death of ⅓ of the population. It quickly spread all over the continent, destroying full towns and cities. Moreover, the plague reached its peak of destructions in 1349, which was a “wretched, terrible, destructive year, the remnants of the people alone remain.” Life before the black death arrived for the serfs it was unpleasant and short. Nevertheless, Europe before the black death arrived was successful and the trade at the time was strong. The spread of the plagues was traumatic and unexpected because it spread so quickly.

The Black Death was also a way for people to start a new life, and it was also a way for Europe to start from square one. There was a huge effect on education. Many people realised that as much as they believed in God and their religion, the church was not God and that they were just taking the power. Because of this, people tried to research more about the reasons why the plague spread. Therefore, medicals schools were opened and there were many more doctors than before. Technology and machines improved and developed because of the lack of workers on the fields. The idea of feudalism was also faltering as many of the lords had died from the plague. Peasants were more free and they were also let loose from the bounds tying them to the lands. Instead, people started going towards of humanism and ideas of working for the benefits of oneself. There is evidence that can back this up. In Russia, the plague did not have as much as an effect and the feudal system continued until the 19th century.

The Black Death was a plague that originated in China in 1334 (Chase). The plague eventually spread through trade routes where it found its way into Europe. When it reached Europe it spread like wildfire and ended up killing approximately sixty percent of the population there. With the amount of havoc and people dieing it led to great change all throughout Europe. This could be both a positive and negative for the future to come. When lots of people died from the plague it allowed for many jobs to be needed. This allowed for social mobility where the lower class could have higher class jobs. During this time people didn’t know how to properly treat the plague. They thought that god was the cause of this and people would pray to be cured of the plague. When peoples prayers weren 't answered they began to lose faith in the church which led to many other religions being strengthened. The last big change was medicine being revolutionized. People began to research how diseases were truly spread which eventually will lead to modern medical techniques. The Black Death was overall a very positive event for Europe despite how many people died from the plague.

During a period within fourteenth century Europe, a pestilence known as the bubonic plague swept across eastern Asia and into England via trade, leaving millions dead in its wake. The Black Plague arrived at a time of war and famine in Europe, only further devastating the lives of medieval citizens. Religiously, socially, and politically, there were no immediate changes from the Black Plague, however, a Catholic schism, the ability for social mobility, and standing armies would develop in the following years, ultimately leading to sizable differences in life.

Imagine a time where even if you sneezed on a relative, you killed them. Well this was the tragic reality for Europe in the fourteenth century. The Black Death was an epidemic which spread across almost all of Europe in the years 1346 – 53; the plague killed over a third of the entire population.1 Derived from the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history.² Although it ravaged life in aspects such as religion, social climates, and science, it would later elicit groundbreaking societal advances that society utilizes today. Without the tragic occurrence of the plague, medical technology, religious perspectives, along with social structures would be primitive today.

The Black Death had a great impact on the economy. Europe had been undergoing a great population boost up until the plague. The Black Death put an end to this boost and even broke down the population much farther. Workers, that were still alive, demanded higher wages and better working conditions. In 1349, an English law was made that stated that a worker had to accept the same salary that they were given in 1346. Soon

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in history. According to Naphy and Spicer, “Western Europeans lived with this disease for nearly four hundred years.” The disease was able to spread rapidly and affected Europe in many ways. Since this disease was rapidly spreading throughout Europe it scared many of the people during this time. Many historians considered the Black Death in the fourteenth century a turning point in Western European history. According to Streissguth, “Before the epidemic of bubonic and pneumonic plague died out three years later, it would kill more than one-third of the continent’s population.” Hundreds of thousand people died from this horrific disease which changed Europe forever. According to Naphy and Spicer, “By the end of the fourteenth century it was fairly obvious to everyone that plague had become a regular and destructive aspect of life.” The plague had left many rural areas untouched after the late 1300’s but the epidemic began almost every decade. When the Black Death began to spread across Europe it caused unimaginable fear, panic, and chaos for the people. The Black Death was an important turning point in Europe where the economics, politics, and society would never be the same. The Black Death spread rapidly across Europe causing many people to become ill and die which resulted in social, economic, and religious upheavals.

The Black Death is one of the most fatal diseases in human history and took its peak in Europe from 1348 to 1350. Half of Europe’s population was wiped out due to this disease and the short and long term impacts greatly affected the structure of Medieval Society.