Free Essays on Black Death

Black Death The most sever epidemic in human history, The Black Death ravaged Europe from 1347-1351. This plague killed entire families at a time and destroyed many villages. The Black Death had many effects beyond its immediate symptoms that contributed to the crisis of the Fourteenth Century. This plague not only took a devastating toll on human life, but it also played a major role in shaping European life in the years to follow. The Black Death divides the central and the late Middle Ages. This horrible catastrophe that occurred in 1348, swept through Europe causing numerous changes. â€Å"The Black Death erupted in the Gobi Desert in the late 1320’s.† This plague originated there and spread outward in every direction. In the autumn of 1347, twelve ships arrived in Messina, a port on the island of Sicily. Usually the people of Messina were eager to see the exotic products these merchants’ ships would bring from Caffa, on the Black Sea. This particular time the people fou nd something astonishing. Instead of silk, perfumes, and spices, these ships carried a strange and destructive disease that would eventually change Europe forever. City officials found very few people alive on these ships when they ported Messina. Dead bodies littered the decks and the ships reeked of decaying flesh. On the deceased they found large black swellings covering the bodies. These officials who inspected these ships feared that the disease that had slaughtered the sailors would spread to Messina. This fear led to the decree that no one, or any piece of merchandise was to leave the ships. They would not even allow the sick sailors to leave the ships or even get medical treatment. It is thought that the people of the ships, who were living in Caffa during the summer of 1347, were exposed to this terrible disease while fighting the Tatars. The Tatars were Mongolian warriors who attacked the city of Caffa, and had the city contained for months. They seeme... Free Essays on Black Death Free Essays on Black Death Black Death was the biggest problem in the Middle Ages. The plague was, â€Å"The disease, carried by the fleas of infected rats, traveled the caravan routes from central Asia. It arrived in Messina, Sicily, aboard a merchant vessel in October 1347.† No one (peasant or aristocrat) was safe from the disease, and once it was contracted, a terrible and painful death was almost a certainty. Black Death, or the plague, killed indiscriminately without remorse or thought of consequences. The after effect of the Black Death were that it changed the way people felt about life, it also effected the social classes, and it caused the peasants to revolt. Black Death changed the way people felt about life. People in Europe soon began to react and tried to explain why and where the plague came from. Many people who were ignorant believed that the plague was the vengeance of god upon a sinful world. â€Å"Preachers saw the plague as divine punishment for sin.† Yet, another group believed that the Jews were the immediate cause of the Black Death. The Jews were accused of poisoning the water supply . Europeans started loosing their faith, â€Å"Traditional bonds of kinship, village, and even religion were broken by the horrors of death, flight, and failed expectations.† The immediate effect of the plague on communities was devastating. Families and friends were set against each other. â€Å"Brothers abandoned brothers, wives deserted husbands, and terror-stricken parents refused to nurse their own children.† As a result, people turned against each other and started accusing each other of causing the illnes s. The Black Death had affected each of the different social classes in Europe. . Property owners got richer in land and goods after their relatives had passed away. â€Å"One consequence of poverty was increased crime, which led to repressive measures and harsh punishments.† The social classes started rebelling with each other Churc... Free Essays on Black Death Black Death The most sever epidemic in human history, The Black Death ravaged Europe from 1347-1351. This plague killed entire families at a time and destroyed many villages. The Black Death had many effects beyond its immediate symptoms that contributed to the crisis of the Fourteenth Century. This plague not only took a devastating toll on human life, but it also played a major role in shaping European life in the years to follow. The Black Death divides the central and the late Middle Ages. This horrible catastrophe that occurred in 1348, swept through Europe causing numerous changes. â€Å"The Black Death erupted in the Gobi Desert in the late 1320’s.† This plague originated there and spread outward in every direction. In the autumn of 1347, twelve ships arrived in Messina, a port on the island of Sicily. Usually the people of Messina were eager to see the exotic products these merchants’ ships would bring from Caffa, on the Black Sea. This particular time the people fou nd something astonishing. Instead of silk, perfumes, and spices, these ships carried a strange and destructive disease that would eventually change Europe forever. City officials found very few people alive on these ships when they ported Messina. Dead bodies littered the decks and the ships reeked of decaying flesh. On the deceased they found large black swellings covering the bodies. These officials who inspected these ships feared that the disease that had slaughtered the sailors would spread to Messina. This fear led to the decree that no one, or any piece of merchandise was to leave the ships. They would not even allow the sick sailors to leave the ships or even get medical treatment. It is thought that the people of the ships, who were living in Caffa during the summer of 1347, were exposed to this terrible disease while fighting the Tatars. The Tatars were Mongolian warriors who attacked the city of Caffa, and had the city contained for months. They seeme...