The Bubonic Plague In Europe

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Recommended: The black death research paper

Evan Donnelly

Professor Crabb

Research Paper

30 March, 2015

Black Death

Europe encountered many different devastations during the fourteenth century, the black death was one of the most traumatic. This was a widespread epidemic of the Bubonic Plague that passed from Asia and through Europe in the mid fourteenth century (Olea and Christakos 292). The first signs of the Black Plague in Europe were present around the fall of 1347 ( Theilmann and Cate 372). In England, the population fell from approximately 4.8 to 2.6 million between 1348 and 1351 (DeWitte and Slavin 37). The Black Death marks the barrier between the High Middle Ages and the Late Middle Ages, and the difference in Europe before and after the Black Death is clear. Bacteria …show more content…

Due to the spreading illness families had to leave their sick loved ones behind. Some stayed back to help the ill at churches but entire congregations and towns were killed. As trade routes continued to be used the plague followed; landing in Germany, England, and France by 1349 (Olea and Christakos 299). By the end of this circular path around Europe, one third of all people in the infected areas had perished (Dawn).

Secondly without advancement in health science Europe didn't know that the population killer was caused by a microscopic bacterium. There is an unknown cause of where the bacteria came from but rats are especially prone to getting this bacteria infection. Fleas live off the blood of animals (rats) and transfer the bacterium from organism to organism. With close contact on the ships and ports, the fleas jump onto a new host (humans) creating the spread of the disease.

After a week from a rat bite humans get a high fever, feel very fatigue and lymph nodes swell and turn black, which is where it gets the name Black Death.

Dawn does a great job explaining what …show more content…

Entire towns were taken out and Italy was hit the hardest due to the large amount of trading on the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. For example, the city state of Florence was reduced by 1/3 in population within the first six months of infection. By the end, as much as 75% of the population had perished, which left the economy in shambles (Olea and Christakos 299). Even though the lower was hit the hardest, the plague was not prejudiced against people of power and wealth. Priests, cardinals and other wealthy citizens were killed by the plague as it made its way across Europe.

With a decrease in lower class families and rise of upper class there were changes in architecture and arts. Many post plague monuments contained paintings of those who had endured the disease and images of decaying bodies everywhere. There was a more morbid outlook on life and individuals had to bury loved ones in mass graves. There was also a change in the population in the working class. There became new opportunities for landowners to build and negotiate buildings between one another. With this new ownership and wipeout of the lower class Western Europe had a new deviation in

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