The Bubonic Plague: The Black Death

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The Bubonic Plague: The Black Death During the late 1330’s in Europe the population was growing dramatically. This caused food shortages, which began to worry the people. The summers and winters were harsh not helping with the crop harvesting. A famine broke out, and it is now known as the famine before the plague. In 1347, the Black Death began spreading across Western Europe. Over the time span of three years, the plague killed roughly one third of the population in Europe. It killed more people than any other epidemic or war up to this time. The Black Death, was caused by the fleas from rats and spread throughout Western Europe, however one effect of the Black Plague would be that it wiped out a great chunk of Europe’s population. The …show more content…

The Bubonic, most common, in a span of three to seven days the plague bacteria will start to show flu like symptoms. However, influenza affects the body's respiratory system, the Bubonic affects the body’s lymph nodes. Symptoms are headaches, chills, weakness, and swollen, tender lymph glands. “These irritated lymph glands were called buboes”(Britain Express), this is where the name Bubonic came from. The Pneumonic occurs when the infection enters the lungs, causing the victim to vomit blood. People infected with the Pneumonic was spread through the air; such as, coughing, sneezing, or breathing. The last type is the Septicemic. This is when the plague enters the victim’s bloodstream causing death within a day. The plague could kill people during this time quickly without a problem. One author told of how the plague could severely affect a person in one day, “ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors in paradise” …show more content…

After the Black Plague ended in about 1350, it had wiped out about thirty to sixty percent of the world’s population. Also, the plague had a big toll on the economy. The “Lords” had a hard time finding peasants to work because everyone was dying. “The demand for people to work the land was so high that it threatened the manorial holdings. Serfs were no longer tied to one master; if one left the land, another lord would instantly hire them. The lords had to make changes in order to make the situation more profitable for the peasants and so keep them on their land” (Decameron). The economy was obviously out of control at this time, and the standard of living increased. On the whole, the Black Plague was caused by the fleas from rats and spread throughout Western Europe, however one effect of the Black Plague would be that it wiped out a great chunk of Europe’s population. The Black Plague was one of the most deadly pandemics in history. It caused millions of deaths and struck fear in the people’s

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