The Black Death, also known as the Great Plague or the Bubonic Plague, was a pandemic that devastated Europe during the 14th century. It is estimated that the Black Death killed up to 75-200 million people, which was roughly between 30-60% of Europe's population at the time. The Black Death had a profound impact on European society and led to significant cultural, economic, and social changes.
The Black Death is believed to have originated in Central Asia and spread westward along trade routes and through the movement of infected rodents. The plague was transmitted through fleas that lived on the bodies of rats and other small mammals, and it could be transmitted to humans through bites or through the inhalation of infected particles. The symptoms of the Black Death included fever, chills, weakness, and the appearance of painful, swollen lymph nodes known as buboes. The disease could progress to more severe forms, such as septicemic plague or pneumonic plague, which affected the blood and respiratory system, respectively. The mortality rate for the Black Death was extremely high, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 75% of those who contracted the disease died.
The Black Death had a profound impact on European society, as it decimated the population and disrupted the social and economic systems of the time. The shortage of labor led to an increase in wages for workers, and the declining population led to a decrease in land values. The Black Death also had cultural consequences, as it contributed to the decline of feudalism and the rise of centralized states. In addition, the Black Death had a significant impact on the arts, as many artists and intellectuals died during the pandemic, leading to a decline in artistic and intellectual output.
The Black Death had a lasting impact on Europe, and its effects can still be seen today. The pandemic changed the course of European history and shaped the world we live in today. It serves as a reminder of the devastating power of disease and the importance of preparedness and prevention in the face of public health crises.
What ended the Black Death, history's worst pandemic
The despair associated with Black Death got its way into the famous works of art and literature in Europe during the later years in the 14th century. Unknown artist Public Domain Jewish communities were completely destroyed in Germany, Austria, and France — in spite of a bull issued by Pope Clement VI l. The disease was a true mystery for Medieval people, whereas the medicine was under-developed to cope with such a disease as the Black Death, which was presumably a plague. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. People did not how to treat the disease and they did not know how to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
The Black Death
Instead, they believed the Black Death was the punishment from the part of God, which people have to take. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. In England, the Statute of Labourers of 1351 was enforced, meaning no peasant could ask for more wages than they had in 1346. Herlihy, The Black Death and the Transformation of the West Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1997 , p. Bibliotheca scriptorum medii aevi Teubneriana in Latin.
The Black Death Essay
. Medieval homeowners were supposed to police their housefronts, including removing animal dung, but most urbanites were as careless as William E. The most widely accepted estimate for the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, and Syria, during this time, is for a death toll of about a third of the population. Middle Ages Reference Library. Mongol dominance of Eurasian trade routes enabled safe passage through more secured trade routes.
Effects of the Black Death on Europe
In such a situation, religion, which was the main source of salvation for people, still played an important part in the life of people and explanation of the disease. Towns and cities were full of decaying filth, which contributed to the rise of the rat population, which also contributed to the fast spread of the plague in Europe. Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present. According to medieval historian The physician to the Magister Raimundus, On Epidemics De epidemica. After the Black Death: Economy, society, and the law in fourteenth-century England. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
The Black Death Essay
. At the same time, the Black Death had not only a devastating demographic impact but also the disease had a disastrous economic impact on Europe as well as other countries of the world and, what is more, the disease contributed to the consistent change of social relations, re-evaluation of the lifestyle and values of people living in the pandemic-stricken Europe and other countries of the world. It moved from Central Asia to China in the early 1200s and reached the Black Sea in the late 1340s. It was possible to move about and rise higher in life. It also set the stage for the rise of stronger national identities and ultimately for the Reformation that split Christianity in the 16 th century. Historical accounts report that only 26 professors survived out of the 40 found in Cambridge University. Women joined guilds, ran shipping and textile businesses, and could own taverns and farmlands.
Black Death
European society was devastated by the disease. Fear made the people forget themselves; instead of mourning what they had lost, the survivors rejoiced, for they were still alive. Retrieved 15 May 2020. Cambridge: At the University Press. After 1350, European culture in general turned very morbid. In this regard, the lifestyle of Jews and their involvement in trade was probably the major factors that justified the belief of Europeans that Jews brought the plague to Europe. Christians viewed the Black Death as the result of their sins, whereas Muslims viewed the Black Death as the result of the improper performance of their obligations as Muslims.
