Black Death (the Plague)

During the late Middle Ages there were many progresses made such as many new inventions and art and literate was at a peak. With these very important improvements of the late middle ages there was a problem that nothing could be compared to, the black death. During this time period the Black Death was a major factor in Europe from when it swept threw from 1300 to 1450. Many people said it was the end of the world because of the plague’s effects on the European people and Europe in general. The plague was brought to Europe by cargo from China. In this cargo there were rats that had flea’s on them that carried this plague, and this little flea’s caused one of the most devastating epidemics in the history of the world. The people of Europe were already in bad times before the plague due to economic depression and agricultural expansion had reached its limits. Then in 1347 the plague struck, once infected by the plague a person would develop enormous swelling in there groin or armpits, black spots would appear on there legs, then diarrhea would occur and the victim would die between the third and fifth day. The plague was not only transmitted by the flea’s, the plague was also transmitted by air and if a person was infected that way he would cough up blood and then die within 3 days. By the end of the plague around two-thirds of Europe’s population was dead, and the people that did survive had a very hard time living in the conditions that Europe was in. With most of Europe’s population dying or already dead the country it self was in a mess. One of its biggest problems was its sanitation, the living conditions were horrible due to numerous dead people just lying around. So many people died that they had to dig up a hole and just fit as many dead people in it till the hole was full, just so that the dead would be all over the place. With many of the people dying a problem was farmers not being able to grow there crops because they were dead, many of there harvests rotted and they left there farms deserted this caused a increase in price and good became more scarce. Around 1400 everything started to change for the better. With Europe’s population still low and the farmers going back now and harvesting there crops the prices went down and no there was more food for everyone because there were less mouths to feed. Since food was cheaper people could spend more money on better things such as meat and dairy products. With the people standard of living getting higher and the plague finally ending Europe was back on its feet again. This catastrophe was one of the most horrible things to ever happen in the world. During the time period before the plague Europe was not doing very good then the plague came and they were in even worse condition. After the plague Europe started to do very well do to the many of people that died and what the plague did to the land. For all we know if the plague would have never happened the problems in Europe might have grown out of control such as the population and they would still be in a state of economic crisis. Both may argue the plague was horrific and morbid but in the long run it might have helped Europe to become the successful continent that is it today.