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The Black Death. The Black Death: 1347-1350. Dead littered the streets everywhere. Cattle and livestock roamed the country unattended. Brother deserted brother.
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The Black Death: 1347-1350 Dead littered the streets everywhere. Cattle and livestock roamed the country unattended. Brother deserted brother. The Black Death was one of the worst natural disasters in history. In 1347 A.D., a great plague swept over Europe and ravaged cities causing widespread hysteria and death. One third of the population of Europe died. "The impact upon the future of England was greater than upon any other European country." (Cartwright, 1991) The primary culprits in transmitting this disease were Oriental Rat Fleas carried on the back of black rats.
Culprit: Oriental Rat Flea Fleas are blood sucking parasites. They have the potential of spreading dangerous diseases to humans and other animals. It is possible the first flea was native to Africa and traveled by boat on the back of a rat to different destinations around the world. The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, is one of the deadly diseases that the flea can spread to man and animals.
Types of Black Death The Black Death came in three forms: • Bubonic (30-75% died) • Pneumonic (90-96% died) • Septicemic (99% + died) Each different form of plague killed people in a vicious way. All forms were caused by a bacterium called Yersinia pestis.
Transmission The three forms of the Black Death were transmitted two ways: • The septicemic and bubonic plague were transmitted with direct contact with a flea • Pneumonic plague was transmitted through airborne droplets of saliva coughed up by bubonic or septicemic infected humans.
Bubonic Plague The bubonic plague was the most commonly seen form of the Black Death. The symptoms were enlarged and inflamed lymph nodes (around arm pits, neck and groin). The term 'bubonic' refers to the characteristic bubo or enlarged lymphatic gland. Victims were subject to headaches, nausea, aching joints, fever of 101-105 degrees, vomiting, and a general feeling of illness. Symptoms took from 1-7 days to appear.
The Black Death Spreads If the plague had just stayed in one city, the containment might have spared Europe. Unfortunately, the plague spread when people fled to other cities. It is believed the plague originated in Asia, and moved west with Mongol armies and traders.
Quote from the Time “They sickened by the thousands daily, and died unattended and without help. Many died in the open street, others dying in their houses, made it known by the stench of their rotting bodies. Consecrated churchyards did not suffice for the burial of the vast multitude of bodies, which were heaped by the hundreds in vast trenches, like goods in a ships hold and covered with a little earth." -Giovanni Boccaccio
Mortality Estimated deaths: 75 million worldwide, 25-50 million in Europe. (30-60% of Europe’s population) About 7,000 people died each day!
“Bring out your dead!” A common phrase called out by the operator of the death cart
Efforts to Stop the Plague During the Black Death, 'plague doctors' would visit victims to see if they were infected. The 'snout' contained herbs and spices that were supposed to prevent infection. The stick was to push away patients who got too close. Most doctors were not real doctors and could do nothing for victims. Almost all efforts were unsuccessful. “There was no treatment, neither doctors nor medicine proving of any avail".
Effects on Europe: Economy Workers and employers died, production fell. Costs of labor and goods soared. Surviving serfs and artisans demanded higher wages. Lawlessness was everywhere. The plague brought death and social unrest
Effects on Europe: The Church One of the groups that suffered the most was the Christian church. It lost prestige, spiritual authority, and leadership over the people. How? The church promised cures, treatment, and an explanation for the plague. They said it was God's will, but the reason for this awful punishment was unknown. People wanted answers, but the priests and bishops didn't have any. The clergy abandoned their Christian duties and fled. People prayed to God and begged for forgiveness. After the plague, ended angry and frustrated villagers started to revolt against the church. The survivors were also enraged at doctors, who didn't cure patients, but said they could.
Effects on Europe: Children The loss of family members left the children facing death and pain at an early age. Parents even abandoned their children, leaving them to the streets instead of risking the babies giving them the dreaded "pestilence". Children were especially unlucky if they were female. Baby girls would be left to die because parents would favor male children that could carry on the family name.
Effects on Europe: Art People's attitudes towards music and art changed as they began to see the depression surrounding them. The horrific nature of the Black Death was reflected in the realistic depictions of human suffering and carnage as well as the symbolic use of the skeleton. "The Dance of Death“ by Hans Holbein the Younger
After the Black Death Soon after the last eruption of the Black Death, the demand for agricultural workers gave survivors a new bargaining power. Workers formerly bound to the land could now travel and command higher wages for their services. In addition, people left rural areas and migrated to cities for higher wages. The economic structure of land-based wealth shifted. Portable wealth in the form of money, skills and services emerged. Small towns and cities grew while large estates and manors began to collapse. The very social, economic, and political structure of Europe was forever altered. One tiny insect, a flea, toppled feudalism and changed the course of history in Europe.
QUIZ Imagine that you are living during the time of the Black Death. All your family is gone and you are on your own. Write a page (2-4) paragraphs about what it must have been like to live at that time.
