Turning Points In The Black Death

The Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death, was a fatal disease that affected millions of people. Originated from China, the Bubonic Plague spread throughout Europe and made its way to Italy in 1347. (document 1) The Black Death, which covered the body with dark and livid spots, was difficult to treat. No one knew how to treat the disease nor how it began to spread.

"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.

The Black Death was one of the most life-changing pandemics in history. It was first discovered 550 years later in the 1800s by Alexandre Yersin, a french biologist. In his honor, the plague was named Yersinia Pestis. The plague traveled in two major ways. Yersin discovered that it traveled by infected fleas; the flea would attempt to feed on a human or animal and would then regurgitate the disease into the new host, further spreading the illness. Urban areas across Europe were populous with rats, which were one of the main hosts of the plague. These rodents spread the Black Death throughout cities in days. The unaffected still were not safe if they did not come in contact with an infected flea or rat. The plague also traveled pneumonically, or through the air. It caused large boils full of blood and pus, which would pop and spread. Another symptom was coughing, which was one of the many ways of proliferation. The disease eventually spread throughout Europe and killed a third of it’s population. It’s wrath caused many shortages, loss in hope, riots, and even some good things, such as many changes in art, science, and education. Therefore, the Black Death was one of the most life-changing pandemics in history.

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.

One of the well known massive disasters that happened in the history of European is the “Black Death.” This fatal plague led to huge loss of between 17 million and 28 million lives in whole Europe. It took place from 1345 to 1353 and the death arrived by sea during the time when twelve Genoese trading ships had actually docked at the Sicilian port after travelling through the Black Sea. A horrifying surprise befell the individuals who were gathering on the docks when they realized that a great number of sailors had died, and the lucky sailors were extremely ill. In addition, they were covered by mysterious black boils which oozed pus and blood (Cohn, pg 514). This is why they named this kind of illness as the “Black Death.” Then what followed were other various symptoms such as vomiting, fever, diarrhea, chills, severe aches and extraordinary pains- and then death.

In October 1347, twelve Genoese trading ships sailed to the port of Messina having with them a certain, unexpected disease known as The Black Death. Many sailors were already dead, some alive but close to death. Beginning with what they had from the plague were huge boils that oozed blood and pus. Onto the future, The Black Death spread all through Europe and killed more than 20 million people. Rumors had been spread which everyone called "A great Perstilence .

The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that spread throughout Medieval England during the years 1348-1350. The Black Death is believed to have killed between 30-45% of people in England alone. There were numerous ideas if what the cause of the disease was but in reality, was a bacteria-born disease from the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which was carried on the fleas off infected black rats and spread to Europe by Genoese trading ships from Asia. Some historians believed the Black Death marked the beginning of a deep recession within Britain as well as the beginning of the Renaissance, a period of striking artistic expression, whereas other historians seem to take the view point that the Black Death simply amplified an already declining

Summary: The Black Death, by Philip Ziegler, covers the epidemic that spread throughout Eurasia around 1348. The book mostly focuses on England and how the disease affected this area. The book also covers other portions of Europe such as France, Italy, and Germany but not as in depth. Ziegler uses the research of many historians to piece together what occurred during this time of grief. Ziegler starts off the book explaining the origins and nature of the plague. He explains how the tartar attacked the port city of Genoa by catapulting diseased corpses in the city’s compound. The Genoese decided to flee and went further north, which caused the spread of

“The Black Death, caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium, first exploded in Europe between 1347 and 1351.” (Pappas) It consisted of three different plagues; The Bubonic, Septicemic, and Pneumonic plagues. It was first noticed when Genoese trading ships were docked at the Sicilian port of Messina arriving from the Black Sea. People waiting for the ships to arrive were astonished at the scene left on the ship. A big percentage of the sailors were dead. Others that were still alive, didn’t have much longer. They were very sick. They could not eat without needing to puke it up. This scene left a bad taste in the mouths of the people of Europe. They knew something was coming.

The Black Death was single handedly one of the worst epidemics to hit the world. Although its reign of death hit many other continents it’s seemingly most devastating effects hit Europe the hardest. While arriving to the continent around 1347; the disease would kill roughly “30-50 percent” of its population (DeWittle, 2014) in only five years. The Black Plague would last 1347-1351 and in those five short years would bring Europe to what would seem to be a halt.

The Black Death, which swept the continent of Europe in the mid-1300’s, was an extreme epidemic which was an eye-opener for extreme illnesses and plagues. The plague had a lot of harmful effects on the people and continent of Europe. The Black Death was a powerful, murderous, and rampant disease.

Black death, also known as “bubonic plague”, ravaged Europe in 1337, after12 Genoese ships arrived at the sicilian ports after crossing the Black Sea. but, the people that gathered at the ports were greeted by an odd surprise. All the sailors on board were either dead, or deathly ill. They were overcome with fever, unable to keep food down, and were going crazy from pain. And the strangest thing, is that they were covered in strange black boils, that oozed pus and blood, and gave the illness it’s name. Over the next five years, this disease would kill over 20 million people in Europe. But it started long before that. It all started in the early 1330’s in China, when a deadly outbreak of bubonic plague originated there, and then spread along the silk road to Europe.

The plague, better known as Black Death, was a horrible problem that reached Europe by way of sea in October of the year 1347. Twelve Genoese trading ships had landed after a long trip over the Black Sea. As the people came to the dock to meet the ships, they were horrified at what they saw. The ship was full of sailors who were dead or either very sick. They had fever, could not eat, and were suffering from pain. The strangest part was they had black boils all over them that were seeping blood and pus. This is how the plague earned its name “Black Death.” The authorities from Sicilian very quickly demanded the ships to leave from the harbor; however, it was too late. During the next five years to come, this plague would take the lives of over twenty million people in Europe, which was almost a third of their population.

On October 1347, 12 Genoese trading vessels docked at the port of Messina in Sicily. They bobbed in the harbor quiet and inactive. Curious citizens boarded the ships to investigate and found a ghastly scene: bespotted corpses below deck, the smell of putrescence and fear hung in the air. Those few sailors who were not dead were barely living, oozing puss from black boils, covered in their own vomit and blood. The Black Death had arrived in Europe. The Plague, Modern science tells us, is caused by a bacillus that travels from person to person; through the air, pneumatically or through infected flea bites. It is an incredibly contagious disease. Once caught there was nothing that could be done, in fact, the medical practices of the day might have escalated the situation. Reactions to this illness varied, all knew they were doomed, still, the need to rationalize this apocalyptic disease was necessary. With such little understanding of real science though, they turned to spiritual explanations, ‘God's wrath was upon them'. The Black Death catastrophic effect, socially and economically wiping out 20 million people (history.com).

The Black Death spread throughout Europe producing one of the deadliest and most widespread pandemics in history. This disease arrived in Europe, in October 1347, as 12 Genoese ships docked in hope to trade silk and spices. As the town’s people gathered on the docks to greet these ships after their long journey across the Black Sea, they encountered an unimaginable surprise! Upon the ships most of the sailors were dead. Individuals described these sailors as being covered with “mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus” (“Black Death”). These ships intending to trade instead passed a new disease, thus the illness of the “Black Death” was born. The plague continued to spread quickly across Europe as these trade ships traveled to vast regions including China, India, Persia, Syria and Egypt.