THE BLACK DEATH

THE BLACK DEATH

The Black Death was a horrible epidemic which historians believe started in Africa and shot across Central Asia and then the European countries through trade. The main reason is through the fleas on rodents, and the rodents themselves. The plague got the name for one of two reasons. First, being the late stage of the disease, where skin would blacken due to hemorrhages , then leading to gangrene (pictures are on the internet, but some are just to crazy to force people to view while reading, so I will just leave you to google them). The second reason is due to the fact that it was so dark and morbid and there being no cure leading to imminent death. The Bubonic plague, being the current name of the disease, would cause the victim to swell, get a fever, and then spit blood. Upon this, the family and friends of the victim would usually abandone them, leaving them to die where they were and rot without a proper burial. This also, would leave the victim in a state of fear and being alone, dying without any hope or friendly voice, which in my opinion, is one of the most dark and brutal ways to go.

It is important to the world in multiple ways. This was a huge killing power, believed to have killed many millions during the 14th century. During the medieval times, it was supposed to have killed 30%-60% of Europes population. When it didn't strike the people directly, it would kill off the livestock and domesticated animals. Invading troops used the infected bodies of the dead in catapults, launching them over the walls of defending peoples. It was a huge factor in cities being lost, churches going down, and loyalty and kinship being destroyed. Some believed it was an angry God and his wrath upon the world. Others blamed the Jewish people, which led to the killing thousands of innocent people. Nonbelievers would find religion, while the religious would leave it.

Negative impacts on our world today can include, but aren't limited to, massive amounts of death. This slowed the growth of many cities and countries, which if not for the plague, could be alive and immense in knowledge/beauties. With the killing of thousands due to blame, it has made feuds between people that could still have the hatred for persecutions. Positive impacts could be that the Black Death helped the world shape into what it has become. Without the instance, we as people might not be ready for an immense epidemic. Sure they didn't have the technology and vaccinatiosn we do now, but we do have the written experiences of what happened and with that, a little more preparation to handle it. It also helped regulations for trades. Trading during the time period possibly got tougher and was watched to make sure that nothing like this would happen again.