This rapid spread greatly effected Europe in the 14th century. The most pressing issue caused by the Black Death was the large number of deaths and the rate at which they were occurring. The death tolls varied from place to place in Europe, and an exact number of how much all together was killed is unknown. However, historians estimate anywhere from 75-200 million people died from the plague within the span of 4 years. In some cities as many as 500-800 people would die daily by this disease.
Spread Once the plague reached Sicily, the most remote corners of Europe were infected in less than three years. During that period, one-third of Europe's population perished, everyone lived in terror of becoming the Black Death's next victim and all knew someone who had succumbed to the plague. No one knew how to prevent or cure it. After the plague first struck in Sicily in October 1347, the disease spread rapidly: 1. Keep some clean clothes tightly folded and bound up in cloth treated with mint or pennyroyal, preferably in a cedar chest far from all animals and vermin.
Both scientists state that the epidemic “spread throughout the continent far faster than any modern plague” and that the plague was in fact “a viral hemorrhagic fever, similar to Ebola.” (A.W, 3). The devastating effects from the plague led the high death rates among the citizens of Europe. The Black Death is “estimated to have killed 30–60% of Europe's total population”. In total, the plague reduced the world population from an estimated “450 million down to 350–375 million” (Alchon, 21) in the 14th century. Aside from the Plague deaths, there was also a decline in the birth rate.
The Black Death In general, the later Middle Ages was a time of crisis and trouble throughout the world. The plague that is often referred to as the Black Death reached its height in the middle of the fourteenth century. This plague has erupted in the Gobi desert in the 1320's and it spread from there in every direction. In Europe and among the Asian nations there were severe population losses, with the population of China, for example, falling from around 125 million to 90 million during the fourteenth century. Through the 1340's the plague spread towards the west, reaching Constantinople in 1347, then Egypt where a thousand people a day died in Alexandria, and in Cairo seven thousand a day.
The Black Death was a plague that started in Florence, Italy, in 1348. It was one of the deadliest plague epidemics that ever happened in history. It spread all over the world infecting everyone and leaving trails of dead bodies along its path. It led many people to death and can still infect people today. The Black Death swept across Asia and Europe during the middle 1300’s.
The Black Death Historical Debate History 108: Birth Europe: Antiquity-14th C The epidemic known as the Black Death is viewed as an unparalleled disaster in human history. Between 1346 and 1353 the Black Death rapidly spread across Europe and claimed the lives of approximately one-third of the population.1The outbreak of the Black Death, or plague is believed to have originated in central Asia along trade routes2 and has been generally attributed to the pathogenic agent known as bacillus Yersinia pestis.3 Although there is a lot of information regarding the Black Death, historians have long debated many questions concerning the topic. One of these questions includes: Was such a catastrophe inevitable given the state of Europe’s population
In the mid-fourteenth century, Europeans suffered a catastrophic epidemic of bubonic plague. It was known as the “Black Death.” This plague killed about a third of the European population. With the resulting abundance of food for the survivors and the gain of property from the plague victims, survivors were prompted by the turmoil caused by the plague to move away and seek opportunities elsewhere. Most Europeans as a result perceived the world as a place of alarming risks where the balance of health, harvests and peace could easily be tilted by epidemics, famine and violence. This gave encouragement to a few to take greater risks, one of which entailed embarking on dangerous sea voyages through uncharted waters to points unknown.
Timothy Benway Mr. Woods English 11, Period 9 October 12, 2012 The Black Plague or the Black Death is considered one of the most traumatic diseases that happened in America during the 14th century. The Black Plague originated in central China in 1333 as the population was overcame by starvation. The plague then spread to the Crimea where the Kipchak Mongols attacked the Genose carrying furs and silks from a place called Cyprus to Florence which was also suffering from famine. The Black Plague affected all walks of life including the rich and the poor. On November 1, 1348 the plague had finally reached London and by February 2, 1349 200
The Effects of the Black Death The bubonic plague of the fourteenth century caused not only pain and death, but also the formation of new ideas to help Europe after the economic slump they had been in for decades. The plague, which started in Asia, spread throughout all of Europe killing a third of the European population. No one was safe from the pestilence; clergy and nobles died along with the peasants and scum of every infected area. This sickness, that was spread so easily, managed to leave complete wreckage in its path. John Kelly writes about how the Black Death changed everyone’s lifestyle, changing Europe politically, economically, and socially.
The Plague Beginning in the mid-fourteenth century, Europe was struck by a series of waves of plague called the Black Death. The first wave alone killed one-third of the population, 25 million people. While there were multiple causes of the plague floating around by word of mouth, it was the effects of the plague that matter the most. The Black Death affected the society, religion, and the economy of the Middle Ages. The change in population was a drastic social effect of the plague.