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The Black Death
The black death, or bubonic plague, was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. It occurred 1347-1351.
For the people dealing with the black death, it was HORRBLE. Symptoms of the black death include high fevers, aching limbs and vomiting of blood. There is almost always swelling of the lymph nodes. (glands found in the neck, armpits and groin) The swelling continues to worsen and is easily visible; its blackish coloring gives the disease its name: the Black Death. The swellings continue to expand until they eventually burst, with death following soon after. The whole process lasts only three or four days. The fast pace of the disease, the horrible pain, the disgusting appearance of the victims, all make the plague really terrifying.
There were many consequences of the black death. A really big consequence, that sparked other consequences, was the drop in population. It killed an estimated 75–200 million people in the 14th century alone. Europe had been overpopulated before the plague, and the population drop resulted in higher wages and increased available land and food for peasants. Even though the middle class were becoming more wealthy, European culture turned very grim and morbid. The general mood was pessimism, and contemporary art turned dark because it was representing death.
The black death affected religions and societies a lot. Jews, lepers, and outsiders were constantly being accused of having polluted the water and air. This lead to attacks in southern France, Switzerland, and Germany. The attacks on the Jewish were especially horrible; they were burned and abused. The black death also lead to economic changes. Since there was such a great population drop, those did survive made a lot more money. This mostly affected the middle class, who were making up to five times the amount they usually made. The government was affected as well, for they had to adjust to the social disruption. In England, the monarchy had to work to regulate the prices on food. There was even some affect on religion; religious shrines became more popular, because people were embracing religion as an attempt to protect themselves.
Fun Fact!
The swelling of the lymph nodes turns a blue/black color- that is the reason it is called the black death.
