The Black Plague During The Renaissance

The Black Plague, a disease many would agree was both one of the most devastating and poignant events to occur in European History. A time of persecution and suffering, many had to endure the effects that the Black Plague brought with it. Amidst the consequences suffered by those carrying the disease, came the ramifications that those who were not directly affected experienced. A few ramifications were self-evident, such as trade, others were concealed within the fear that the population had lost so much already, they could no longer afford to lose anything else, whether that be dignity or pride. The plague caused many to question their religious outlook, the lack of knowledge caused false cures to develop and affected the interactions throughout Europe.

The Black Death (Plague of 1348) had a deep and lasting impact on Medieval Europe for a variety of reasons. First of all, the Black Death influenced the way people lived in Medieval Europe. People formed communities, isolated from each other. Men and women also abandoned their cities, houses, dwellings, relatives, property, and went abroad. It is clear that they believed that God would have mercy on them if they fled, or that the Plague would decline outside of the city walls. Unfortunately, many of these people died knowing that these ideas were both false. Another piece of evidence to why the Black Death had the most impact on Europe is the change of social structure. Specifically, the distinction between the upper and the lower

The Black Death was a disease that had a catastrophic impact on Europe. Reaching Europe in 1347, the plague killed an estimation of one-third of the population in the first wave. Each document varies with its reasons for the cause of the plague and how to deal with it.

By the end of the fourteenth century, the Black Death killed nearly 60% of Europe’s population. First arriving in Europe through sick merchants on Genoese trading ships that docked in Sicily, the plague caused boils, fever, diarrhea, horrible pain, and shortly, death. No one was sure how the Death spread, and this combined with the fast course the disease took and the primitive medical practices of the time allowed for the disease to spread through the continent in devastating time. It only took about twenty-three days from the point of infection for the plague to be fatal (Benedictow). The Black Death spread extensively through Europe, affecting both nobility and peasants.

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.

The Black Death The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was one of the biggest pandemics in the world. It started to spread from Eastern China, to Europe in the early 1300’s, and it reoccurred multiple times during the years to come. Merchant ships and rodents were the two main ways this disease spread and infected humans (The Black Death 1348). The symptoms for this plague were extremely painful and death was the most likely outcome in most cases.

The Black Death was a very rough time and harmful, with the population dropping 1/3, having the economy being poor because of inflation, and people being afraid to walk to streets, The Black Death or what scientist call it “The Bubonic Plague”. This tragedy started around 1347‐ 1352 A.D, originating from East Asia or China .This disease was brought by the sea from ships, and on the ship was black rats and fleas were carrying it and it was passed down to the rats. These rodents spread the Bubonic plague from China to Europe and lastly, it hit Britain in 1348.

During the mid-fourteenth century, a plague hit Europe. Initially spreading through rats and subsequently fleas, it killed at least one-third of the population of Europe and continued intermittently until the 18th century. There was no known cure at the time, and the bacteria spread very quickly and would kill an infected person within two days, which led to structural public policies, religious, and medical changes in Europe. The plague had an enormous social effect, killing much of the population and encouraging new health reforms, it also had religious effects by attracting the attention of the Catholic Church, and lastly, it affected the trade around Europe, limiting the transportation of goods. As a response to the plague that took place

I. INTRODUCTION The Black Death arrived in Europe on October 1348 when 12 Genoese trading ships arrived at the Sicilian port of Messina after a long journey through the Black Sea. The people who gathered on the docks that was about to greet the ships met with a horrifying surprise: Most of the sailors aboard the ships were dead, and those who were still alive were gravely ill. They were overcome with fever and delirious from pain. Also, they were covered in mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus and gave their illness its name: the “Black Death.”

The Black Death, also known as the Plague, was caused by an epidemic of the bacterium called “Yersinia Pestis”. The pandemic struck Europe in the late-1340s and wiped out nearly a third of Europe’s population. However, this tragedy also transformed European society positively because it created an opportunity for economic benefits and the growth of Humanism. According to the scholars, “the Black Death first took place in Mongolia in the late 1320s and spread to China and other parts of the Asia.

By the year 1450, the bubonic plague had already killed “half of the European population” (Renaissance -- Out of the Middle Ages). This happened because some merchants from “Kaffa fled back home to Italy with the plague and some black rats”(Chapter Three: GREAT PLAGUES OF HISTORY: BUBONIC PLAGUE,SMALLPOX, AND ANTHRAX.). When they arrived they found “dying men and dead bodies”(Chapter Three: GREAT PLAGUES OF HISTORY: BUBONIC PLAGUE,SMALLPOX, AND ANTHRAX.) on board of the ship.

The Black Death The Black Death: The Medieval black plague that ravaged Europe and killed a third of its population. It was due to the plague which is caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) transmitted to humans from infected rats by the oriental rat flea. “By all accounts, the Black Death spread from France in the summer of 1348 to the port of Weymouth on the southern coast of England, from whence it travelled very rapidly to other ports in both directions along the coast. It progressed up through the Bristol Channel to Bristol before advancing along the Severn to Gloucester.

Killing 1/3rd of Europe 's population, the Black Death was a major turning point in history. During this difficult time, Europe 's structure crumbled and caved due to panic, confusion and fear. Outlandish cults developed, communication between countries vanished, and city life came to a complete stop. The economic and trade systems were affected heavily, impacting the agricultural system as well. Prejudice and hate for the Jewish people also developed notably during the time of the Bubonic plague.

The Black Death The Black Death spread so quickly due to poor hygiene and overcrowding in major cities. It was the worst pandemic plague, and had significant results on the world. The black Death originated in Italy and rapidly spread throughout Europe due to poor city sanitization and overcrowding in major cities. The plague killed more than one hundred million people around the world.

The Black Death was a pandemic of plague that swept through Europe during the years of 1346-1353 (Benedictow). The plague is a disease that is caused by a bacteria called Yersinia pestis. This bacteria commonly infects rats and other rodents and is most often transmitted to humans by fleas that feed on the infected rats and then feed on humans (CDC). Rats are common, unwanted companions in large urban areas and more importantly, on ships. There are conflicting theories on where the plague that caused the Black Death pandemic originated from, but most agree on the location where the plague first started its journey to Europe.