The Black Death

The Black Death (or black Plague) was a very harmful disease that went from 1347 to 1351 (or 14 century) It went from China to Europe in the span of 5 years. It was the most devastating disease in human history. Around 25 million people died in Europe, and 60 million in China just from the plague. This disease spread so quickly from the lack of hygiene, and the lack of care while treating people with the harmful disease.

The living conditions during the Black Death were very unhygienic. London and Paris grew rapidly thought the 13th and 14th centuries, there was a large population in a small area when the plague was approaching therefore the living conditions got worse for people.

Most of the streets were filled with rats and other peoples faeces. It got to the point where you couldn't even see the concrete, anytime you had to go somewhere you would be walking through other peoples farces. The houses were small, and had lot's of other friendly animals living with you as well.

The less fortunate people did not have beds or something to cover them during the cool nights. It was not unusual for as many of 12 people to all sleep on floor together. Most of the less fortunate people spend most of their time on the floor from sleeping and even eating. The floor was not a soft carpet it was a cool and old rotten concrete.

The life expectancy during the 14th century was not long. About 1/3 of the children died around the age of 5. If you were up on the hierarchy then you would have a longer life because you were wealthy. If you were not so wealthy then you might not have a long life. Most mothers would also die while giving birth to their children, about 5% of babies would also die in the process.

 https://www.sarahwoodbury.com/life-expectancy-in-the-middle-ages/ 

In medieval times the biggest religion was Christianity in the form of Catholic religion. The Middle Ages were dominated by the church, from birth to death. Wherever you were on the hierarchy your life was dominated by the church. It was normal for people to attend church daily. It was not unusual for people to also pray about 5 times a day. People believe that when good things happened it was from the bounty of god, and when evil events happened it was due to their sins.

 http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-religion/ 

By the 14th century universities had developed that medical schools where students could study under a master physician. Then again the medical knowledge was not as good as it is today that is how most of the disease and infections occurred during this time. Many people in the 14th century believed for many years that if you had a disease the cure would be "blood letting". The medical teams believed that most diseases happened because the blood in the body and blood letting was a seen as an obvious cure. Then when a large amount of blood needed to come out of the body the right vein was cut with an unwashed knife that had been used seconds before, no pain killers were used to stop the the pain from getting worse. If only a small amount of blood was required then a leech was used.

 https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/a-history-of-medicine/medicine-in-the-middle-ages/ 

The Black Death began 1347, in China of South Asia. It is believed that black rats were on the trade ship coming to Europe. Around this time people were unhygienic, therefore they were in close contact with rats, and other animals that lived in your houses and even beds. Theses animals carried a bacteria called "yersinia pestis", which caused the plague. The rats then spread it onto the fleas who then drank the blood of infected rats, taking in harmful bacteria. The fleas and sometimes rats then passed disease onto the humans, without us knowing. The plague then stopped 5 years after and ended in 1351.

 https://www.dkfindout.com/us/history/black-death/how-did-black-death-begin/ 

This primary source tells us that it's during the Black Death because of the date how everyone in the photo looks. Everyone looks sad and not happy, like they don't want to be there. You can tell that people have passed away because they are carrying coffins and digging holes to put them in. Also during the black death this would be when it first started, because during the end they started to just put people that die into piles and burn them so that's also saying something about this Primary source. You could also say that this would be around that time period because of the clothes they are wearing we don't walk around now a days in them types of clothes.

It would have been very reliable because you can clearly see what is happening. Also because it is a printing from back in that time period, so it's a primary source of information. That would help us find out how the Black Death started and what people were doing to help others. This picture says a lot so when it had been found you could tell straight away when it was from and how it was made.

I started my journey in England, it was a nice little country named Bristol the people were really nice and there was no signs of the plague here. I stayed in Bristol for 2 nights, until I moved to London. At the time London just heard about the Black Death starting, they were not sure if it was real. Some got very scared, and some tried to move away with families, unfortunately here I caught cholera which was very scary. I stayed in London for 6 nights and on the 5th night I got cholera. I didn't know at the time until I moved to the next city that I had cholera. When I went to the 3rd country which was the Netherlands, the two places I stayed where Rotterdam and Brussels and I died in Brussels. In Rotterdam the cholera got really bad but I kept going, at the same time I was giving others cholera too. I stayed in Rotterdam for 4 nights. As soon as I got to Brussels the cholera was really bad, it got to the point where I could not walk. I then passed away in May 1351, from the killing disease cholera.

The Plague started in China and ended up in Europe most likely from a trade ship. The part of Europe that was hit first from the plague was Sicily. That was when it first came into Europe, it then moved through to Italy to France. Then London where it got really bad, around 40,000 people died in London from the plague. It then went to Scotland, Ireland and then through to Paris. One of the countries that were not effected by the Black Death was Milan, that's because they shut off their boarders so no one could enter or leave the country.

Dear my dearest cousin Harvey,

My son is only 10 years old and has contracted the Black death as some are naming it, I am not allowed to go near him or that could be my life ended too. It started out on a normal Tuesday morning. Harry was getting ready for school, until I notice that he had a high fever and did not look himself. Then a few hours later his lymph nodes around his armpits became swollen, his groin area started to swell and turned black. They have called this The Black Death because of the black spots you get when you contract the disease. He had also developed gland boils in the groin area, thighs, arms and neck. The boils where size of hazel nuts

He had then started to have fits on a regularly bases, after about 24 hours it got so much worst. The fits were so regular that he could not stand, he was forced in his bed consumed by the violent fever. Very second was the most painful thing I have had to go through my life. Just seeing him laying down in that bed not be able to move and screaming at the top of his lugs, made me shed a few tears. The boils then grew to a walnut, then to about a hen's egg, hours later it was about a goose's egg. As the boils grew bigger the pain got worst for him and I couldn't do anything about it. His mother Jane moved away and left us two here with nothing but the house and each other. It was getting worst really quickly he started to vomit blood almost all the time. Then just after four days of having the Black Death Harry pasted away.

I did not get to speak to the doctor that was trying to treat Harry, but from what I do know they tried to boil the boils off, but that did not work. Harry was only 10 so it was hard to treat a small and skinny body. One of the things I did notice that the doc had a bird-like beak, with lavender in the front to try and not smell in the bad air. The doc also believes that because we live in the house which is right next to where people put out their faeces, that a rat could have bitten Harry during his sleep but they are still unsure. Harry is the 100th person to die from the Black Death in the village. The doctor had also said that he had contract the bubonic plague So this is the warning if you feel any of these symptoms coming on go straight to the hospital or call a doctor all the best see you soon. Remember try and stay alive keep safe. Thank you, Please write back I need something to do during devastating time.

From your dearest cousin Matthew.

During the 14th century, many people believed that God had sent the plague to punish those who sinned. As a result, groups of people called flagellants appeared throughout Europe.

Flagellants were people who self harmed themselves and others to please god and try and stop the Plague from continuing. Flagellants traveled thought Europe, whipping each other. Some did it that bad that they would end up with scars, and blood would be gushing down their back. They had believed that if caught the Black Death, it was gods punishment. The people that were Flagellants were people that had not contracted the plague yet. While walking through Europe some Flagellants might off caught the plague during the end because they where very close in contact with the people that had the plague. They would also try and sing hymns and saying prayers, to make god take back what he had put on the people. Flagellants would be crying in pain but kept on going because they knew that this is what they would have to do to make the plague stop.

Flagellants did die from the open wounds, that they had caused themselves to have. The plague was around so from having open wounds and the plague, you would die. You would not be able to put bandages on them you would just die and they would leave you behind.

I started out in a poor village and had a little house with one room parents had left me when I was 16 because they thought I would be better by myself. My name in Emily Ann and i'm 21 and have studied to be a doctor. I do think about them, but right know I have my mind on finding a cure for the Black Death. So come to me and I will cure you forever and you will never get the plague again. The 4 cures are taking a bath in urine, Rubbing the victim’s body with a chicken, applying human excrement, and consuming a spoon of crushed emeralds.

Taking a bath in urine, is one of the best ways of getting rid of the Black Death, my cousin olive had the plague and he came to me and I put him in a bath full of his urine, a couple times of day and by the end of the week he didn't have the plague. Bathing in your own urine can cure all types of health problems, including the Black Death. I also used my own clean and uninfected urine to make the symptoms of the Black death go away. It was the most easy way to save your life.

Rubbing the victim’s body with a chicken, this was also such an easy way for people to relax. The whole ritual was called “The Vicary Method.” A hens butt would have to . be shaved, then strapped on the swollen lymph nodes of the sick person. This was all done by a living chicken. Then when the hen becomes sticky, it would be removed and washed, then placed on the same person. This would keep happening until only the chicken or victim remained heathy. This cure has helped many people already, and could help you!

Applying human excrement, this cure has been around for a while but I believe I am going to bring it back for the people. I would make a mixture of tree resins, flower roots, and human excrement, then I would applied it directly on the wounds after that I would rub it in. Yes this is very disgusting, but it sure does work on everyone, even younger people. After I had rubbed it into your wounds I would wrap your wounds and send you on your way.

A spoon of crushed emeralds, this was a very hard one to find because it was so rare to find emeralds. You would've have to been up on the hierarchy, the good think is that I know some people so I could make this and cure everyone who had the Black Death. "It looks like this was a cure for kings", as some would say. But because my cousin married into a rich family she gets me somethings that I could use to help cure you. I would use ground down an emerald stone into a mortar and pestle, mix it with water. Then I would get my patiences drink it like a potion. For most this cure would work, for others not so much. Sometimes I would also mix it with some food so you don't know you eating it.

So if you want to be cured and never have the Black Death again come to me Emily Ann and make this be the day that you stay alive.

During the Black plague people had parties to celebrate being alive, even though most of the people at the parties already had the Black Death and did not know it. So usually after the party they would go home and start getting all the symptoms. They believed that death was inevitable, large groups of people would walk around singing songs. During the process the typical social order of medieval Europe completely broke down. That would be a positive to the people that still have their lives.

Many of the villages were left without a priest because of how the growth of the Black Death spread so rapidly. They would be more susceptible, to getting the Black Death because they would go around to people that had died and say their last blessings, for the person who had died so they can go to heaven. Which would be a negative, to all the people that would be alive because in most of the villagers there was not a priest. So some people would not have a priest to say their last blessing, because so many people where dying.

There was a massive decline in the supply of labour. And basic economic theory suggests that as worker numbers declined, their wages and conditions would increase. What happened is during the Black death so many people where dying so, no one could harvest crops, then that usually meant that you would lose your money because no one could help you with your crops, then on one would buy them because you didn't have any. Therefore peasants made the people higher on the hierarchy to pay them to harvest their crops. Now they were in a bit of a pickle because if they payed the peasants they would lose money but then also gain it when people brought the crops. That is why most of the wages doubled for labourers within a decade. Which is a positive because then some of the peasants actually had money.

Most of the trade dried up because so many people where dying, therefore nobody could assist the trade between the countries. They couldn't even think about trade when they had this killing disease around everyone. They did need to still do their trade, to get people what they need like food, animals and whatever else. But a few people still trying to trade and help people, and give them what they needed. As you will in source 2.4

The English chronicler Henry Knighton wrote about the effects of the Black Death in England in 1348-50 as follows.

The main impacts in this primary source is how there has been a big change of economics, over the years. Back during the 14 century, how people counted their money and when they talked about money is very different now. People would pay for things they needed with shillings, which is how they counted and did their money. The pricing in the market went down half a mark. Most animals would only coast about four shillings or you could trade a fat pig for food or better stuff you needed. So many things has changed since then, some for better and some for worst. There has also been social changes during that time as you hear him talk about. Any time you get economical changes you also have a little bit of social impacts too.

This primary source is very accurate because it was written during the 14 century and he was a journalist so he knew how to write well. This source is also correct because of the language he had used while writing this, we don't use this language in this century meaning that it is very reliable and accurate source.