The Black Death

By: Matt DeFeis

The bubonic plague.

The disease mainly effects rodents, fleas can transmit it to humans.

Once a human is infected it is easily spread to other people

The name of the bacterium is yersinia pestis

The plague causes a high fever, the chills, swelling of the lymph nodes called buboes, black pock marks appear on the afflicted individual.

Origins of the plagueThe plague was said to have started in the

early 1330s in China.

Since China was one of the busiest nations in terms of trading, a trade boat docked in Sicily with people dieing of the plague aboard the boat.

Introduction of the plagueThe plague was first introduced to Europe at a trading city

called Caffa, After a Protracted siege Mongolians catapulted people with the plague over the city walls and infected the cities inhabitants.

Governments in Europe had no response to the plague because of their ignorance to its cause or how it spread

Effects of the PlagueConsidering a third of englands population was killed, art, leisure

activities and life in general was changed by the plague.

The church had been affected greatly since Monasteries took in sick people. Church after church was abandoned, a third of all cardinals were killed by the plague

The wealthy all fled to the countryside

Quarantine

To slow the infection from spreading, leaders prohibited trading with certain areas. Most trade that took place was cut off by pirates and looters and put into circulation on the black market.

Growth during this time period.

It was very hard for children too during the plague.Baby girls were left for dead and boys were cared for to carry

on the families name.Children witnessed death on a daily basis thus leading to

dementia when older.A nursery rhyme was based around the plague, Ring around

the rosey pocket full of poesy's ashes, ashes we all fall down.

The flagellants

Some people believed the plague was a manifestation of divine anger.

From this theory developed the flagellants, they wander from town to town whipping themselves atoning for the sins of the world, as jesus did. They also killed any jew or Clergyman that opposed them.

Mass Graves

It was an age old English custom to bury people in their respected family graves.

As the body count rose higher and higher, the church ran out of places to bury the dead.

Therefore the idea of mass graves came about.