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CAUSES
OF THE BLACK DEATH
historycrunch.com
The Black Death is
the term that historians use to describe the spread of the bubonic plague.
It is one of the most
significant events of the Middle Ages and had a profound impact on life for
people of the time.
In studying the
history and significance of the Black Death historians have identified several
key causes, including: rats, trade networks such as the Silk Road, warfare such
as the crusades, poor hygiene and a lack of medical understanding.
It is believed that
the plague first began in Central Asia and spread to Europe through vast trade
routes such as the Silk Road.
Historians studying
the spread of the plague discovered that the disease was spread by fleas that
are commonly found on rodents such as rats and mice.
As such, it is now
understood that the plague spread via trade routes as the rodents travelled in
caravans and on merchant ships.
For instance, the
first example of the plague arriving in Europe dates from 1347 when a Genoese
merchant ship arrived in Sicily.
The merchants on the
ship were suffering from the effects of the plague, which included: flu-like
symptoms, black and painful lumps that oozed blood and pus, and vomiting.
The traders had just
returned from a port city on the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea.
While there they had
encountered Mongol raiders which they supposedly received the disease
from.
Therefore, the Silk
Road led to the spread of the plague because it allowed the infected rats to
easily travel vast distances and come into contact with all sorts of new
populations of people.
The Silk Road was an
important cause of the Black Death.
Similar to the Silk
Road, warfare in the Middle Ages helped contribute to the spread of the
plague.
For example, the
crusades occurred in the centuries leading up to the start of the Black Death
and set the stage for increased interaction between Europe and the Middle
Eastern civilizations.
The crusades, which
began in the 11th century were a series of missions carried out by Christian
crusaders from Europe to recapture the Holy Land in the Middle East which was
controlled by Muslims.
Ultimately, the
crusades caused an exchange of people between Europe and Asia which allowed for
the easier transport of the plague and infected rats.
The death tolls of
the Black Death were massive, with as much as 50% of the population dying due
to the plague.
Several factors
contributed to the spread of the plague and the overall Black Death.
First, hygiene played
a crucial role in the spread of the disease.
Europe in the Middle
Ages lacked the modern conveniences of sanitation and running water.
This situation caused
rodents such as rats and mice to flourish which helped spread the fleas that
carried the plague with them.
As such, crowded
cities and towns were often havens for the plague since it attracted rodents
that were drawn to human activity.
The second factor
that caused the plague to lead to such high death tolls was the lack of
understanding of the disease on the part of Europeans and doctors.
At the time, there
was little understanding of the connection between hygiene and disease.
As a result, there
were several different theories on the cause and spread of the diseases, which
were all ultimately incorrect.
For example, during
the Middle Ages, many medical doctors believed that human health was related to
the movement of the planets in our solar system.
As such, many related
the spread of the plague to the rotation of the planets including Mars and
Jupiter.
Another common belief
about the plague was that it was spread by certain ethnic groups.
For example,
immigrant groups and Jewish people were often blamed for the spread of the
disease and were persecuted as a result.
Next, some believed
that the plague was a result of God’s will and was punishment for the actions
of people. As such, many people turned to their faith during the crisis.
In all, the Black
Death was an important event that fundamentally changed life for people across
Europe and Asia.
It was caused by the
spread of the bubonic plague and caused massive death tolls wherever it
occurred.
It is remembered
today as one of the most important pandemics in all of human history and for
its role in other major events and time periods, such as: the Silk Road, the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
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