The Black Plague And Black Death

643 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Positive effects of the black plague

Have you ever heard of "The Great Mortality," or maybe "The Pestilence?" (Facts) Probably not, but you most likely you heard of the Black Plague or Black Death. This infection terrorized Europe from 1348 through 1351, killing between 75 to 200 million people. Most of the people who contracted the infection died 3 days after catching it. Only a few people lived 4 days after exposure (“The Black Death of 1348 to 1350). Those who did pass away had no documentation of their death, so the exact death count is unknown to historians. The infection originated from Asia in north-western China and came to Europe on cargo traveling on the Silk Road. It is now known that the infection came from the bacterium Yersinisa pestis, which lives in flea guts (Szczepanski). When the flea bites, the bacterium transfers the infection to the victim, being humans or most likely rodents. Common first signs are swollen lymph nodes and black cyst on the armpit or groin area ( Szczepanski). Victims acquired symptoms similar to the flu, their blood dropping in pressure, heart rate increases, and a fever emerges out of nowhere (DesOrmeaux). The Black Plague, an infection that killed millions, defaced a religion, and managed to eliminate a 1/3 to 1/2 of Europe's population. The Black Plague changed a large amount of people's beliefs in God. An innumerable amount of people relied heavily on prayer and blessings from priest. Priest who tried to help died because they were in contact with the infected often. Some priest ran off and hid from the general population, they are commonly known, simply as bad priest (Whipps). Many people thought since the holiest of people did not receive God's grace and were not be saved by him, there must be no God. This... ... middle of paper ... ...as called on by the church to work for free. This resulted in many peasants not being able to raise and tend to their private gardens and farms and starve (Peschke). The Black Plague, a killer that had no mercy for the lives of others, almost discontinued beliefs of a religion, and almost completely eliminated an entire nation. The infection that travelled hundreds of miles to ruin the sanity and lives of millions. The virus made people do radical things to be saved by God, to only just fade away into the past with undocumented records of their passing. And make the holiest of people of God abandon their religious morals. The Black Death was able to disturb the peace with common folk and nobles, but yet provide the common folk with higher standards of living. "In a sense the Black Death was the prehistory both of the enclosure and of the Reformation" (BBC).

Show More
Related

  • The Black Plague and Its Impact on Medicine in Medieval Society

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Black Death (also called the "plague" or the "pestilence", the bacteria that causes it is Yersinia Pestis) was a devastating pandemic causing the death of over one-third of Europe's population in its major wave of 1348-1349. Yersinia Pestis had two major strains: the first, the Bubonic form, was carried by fleas on rodents and caused swelling of the lymph nodes, or "buboes", and lesions under the skin, with a fifty-percent mortality rate; the second, the pneumonic form, was airborne after the bacteria had mutated and caused fluids to build up in the lungs and other areas, causing suffocation and a seventy-percent mortality rate.

    Read More

  • 14th Century Outbreak of the Black Plague

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1347, Europe began to perceive what the Plague had in store. Terrible outcomes arose when the citizens caught the Plague from fleas. The transfer of fleas to humans caused the outbreak of the Black Death. Infections that rodents caught were passed on to fleas, which would find a host to bite, spreading the terrible disease (“Plague the Black Death” n.pag.). When Genoese ships arrived back to Europe from China, with dead sailors and...

    Read More

  • The Effects of The Black Death on the Economic and Social Life of Europe

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Black Death is the name later given to the epidemic of plague that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351. The disaster affected all aspects of life. Depopulation and shortage of labor hastened changes already inherent in the rural economy; the substitution of wages for labor services was accelerated, and social stratification became less rigid. Psychological morbidity affected the arts; in religion, the lack of educated personnel among the clergy gravely reduced the intellectual vigor of the church.

    Read More

  • Bubonic Plague Dbq

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague and Bubonic Plague, was a catastrophic plague that started out in Asia and began to spread into Europe. In the span of three years, the Black Death killed about one third of all the people in Europe. The plague started out in the Gobi Dessert in Mongolia during the 1320’s. From the desert the plague began to spread outwards in all directions. China was among the first to suffer from the plague in the early 1330s before the plague hit Europe.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Black Death

    1821 Words  | 4 Pages

    No other epidemic reaches the level of the Black Death which took place from 1348 to 1350. The epidemic, better regarded as a pandemic, shook Europe, Asia, and North Africa; therefore it deems as the one of the most devastating events in world history. In The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350, John Aberth, compiles primary sources in order to examine the origins and outcomes of this deadly disease. The author, a history professor and associate academic dean at Vermont’s Castleton State College, specializes in medieval history and the Black Death. He wrote the book in order to provide multiple perspectives of the plague’s impact. Primarily, pathogens started the whole phenomenon; however, geological, economic, and social conditions

    Read More

  • Economic Impact Of The Black Plague

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Bubonic Plague, or more commonly known as ‘The Black Death’ or ‘The Black Plague,’ was one of the most devastating and deadliest pandemics that humans have ever witnessed in the history of mankind. The disease spanned two continents in just a few years, marking every country between Western Europe all the way to China. During the reign of the plague, which is estimated to be the years between 1347-1352, it is estimated that “20 million people in Europe–almost one-third of the continent’s population” was killed off due to the plague. The Black Plague would change the course of European history since the plague knew no boundaries and inflicted its wrath upon the rich and the poor alike. As a result, not only did the plague have a devastating demographic impact which encountered a massive social disruption, but also, an economic and religious impact as well.

    Read More

  • Black Death Impact On Society Essay

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Black Death was an epidemic of bubonic plague. This disease was caused by the bacteria “Yersinia Pestis” which is spread by wild rodents that live in big numbers. The Black Death was one of the biggest pandemics in history and eradicated over an estimated 75-200 million people around the years of 1346-1353. The Black Death had an impact on society and changed it in many ways some of these impacted were; Religion, Political structure and Health. The Black Death killed more Europeans than any other endemic or war, however is caused society to change forever.

    Read More

  • The Black Death

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1346, the second and most devastating case of Bubonic plague erupted. (Janis 1) This specific case of plague originated in Kaffa, a cathedral town on the Crimean Coast and spread to China then quickly westward to India. Soon traders from India sailed to Europe and infected almost the entire continent. (Ziegler 121) This case was the most famous because of the large number of deaths affiliated with its outbreak. An estimated twenty five million people, one third of Europe’s population, perished during the plague’s four years of existence. (Janis 1) Government, trade, and commerce in Europe almost came to a halt. The Black Death caused the depopulation of about 1,000 villages in England. (Janis 2) In one case, in Alexandria, Egypt, the first two weeks of the plague 100-200 people died each day. Soon after, as many as 2,000 people died each day and the number increased each week. During this time, the Roman Catholic Church lost some influence on its people.

    Read More

  • The Plague - The Black Death

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    "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.

    Read More

  • How Did The Black Death Affect Medieval European Society

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Black Death was a dark period of human history, approximately 60% of European died. Black Death also known as the bubonic plague, it happened during 1346-1353. The plague spread during the crusades along the ships, and it was originated from a mice from Asia. It is a irremediable disease. The plague made so many negative influence on society, as well as positive effects on human population, such as social, medical and economical effects.

    Read More

  • Bubonic Plague Dbq Essay

    1587 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sweeping through Western Europe during the fourteenth century, the Bubonic Plague wiped out nearly one third of the population and did not regard: status, age or even gender. All of this occurred as a result of a single fleabite. Bubonic Plague also known as Black Death started in Asia and traveled to Europe by ships. The Plague was thought to be spread by the dominating empire during this time, the Mongolian Empire, along the Silk Road. The Bubonic Plague was an infectious disease spread by fleas living on rats, which can be easily, be attached to traveler to be later spread to a city or region. Many factors like depopulation, decreasing trade, and huge shifts in migrations occurred during the Bubonic Plague. During Bubonic Plague there were also many different beliefs and concerns, which include fear, exploitation, religious and supernatural superstition, and a change of response from the fifteenth to eighteen century.

    Read More

  • Medicine in the Middle Ages

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 14th century most of Europe was struck by a devastating disease called the Black Death, or bubonic plague. This disease was carried by flees which lived on rats. When the rats died, the flees jumped onto humans and spread the disease. Even though the Black Death was controlled in Europe by 1351, it came back regularly over the next 150 years.

    Read More

  • The Black Death (Black Plague)

    280 Words  | 1 Pages

    Did you know that during the years 1348 and 1351 up to 75 million trough 200 million people died because of the Black Death? Well if not, then an interesting fact is that it killed about 30% to 50% of Europe’s population during that time, this all began in china but soon this deadly disease started to spread quickly.

    Read More

  • The Middle Ages or the Dark Ages

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... in the church so much that they were willing to devote their whole lives to it. Whilst this period did see a rise in the influence of the church, this reflected a need for people to find some comfort against the hardships of disease, wars and the chaos from government collapsing.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Black Plague

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the mid 13th century Europe was devastated with a disease that wiped out a large portion of their population. This disease was called the plague.The plague was a disease with a name Yersinia Pestis. This disease was spread by fleas on small rodents such as black rats. Black rats were the most accused for the spread of the black plague. Once the flea is on a human it will infect a human by putting infected blood into the humans blood stream. Once infected you would start getting symptoms like high fever, rapid pulse, headache, body aches, and weakness. Your fingers toes and lips would also turn black/blue. The average time to die from the time you start receiving symptoms is 72 hours. Gabrielle de’ Mussi lived in Sicily when they plague broke out. He wrote, “They in turn soon infected their whole families, who in three days succumbed, and were buried in one common grave.”

    Read More

More about The Black Plague And Black Death

Open Document