Bubonic Plague
Myles Paschall and Spencer Ezzell
What Was It?
The bubonic Plague was a deadly disease that began in China in 1346. It began when 12 trading ships landed at a dock and all of the people on the ships were covered in black boils and had extreme fever, most of them dead. This is how it got the name Black Plague. It quickly spread to European countries, and it was one the deadliest disease breakouts in world history.
What was the Result?
At the end of the Black Death people believed that there was as many as 100 to 200 million people who had died. Everyone who survived lived with a higher standard because there was more money for everyone. It took up to 150 years for Europe's population to recover from all of the death.
How did it Start?
In 1347, the Bubonic Plague broke out in China. It mainly affected rodents, but fleas also got the disease. Once the fleas got the disease, they passed it on to the people. The people spread it to others extremely fast. Since Asia was one of the worlds biggest trading ports, it was only a matter of time before it spread to Europe and other Asian countries.
How did it Spread?
In 1347, Kaffa, a town in modern day Ukraine that was a Genoese trading post became under attack by a Tartar army. When the Tartars were killed by the plague, the townspeople were happy. Soon after though, the Tartar were launching dead bodies over the city wall hoping that the smell would kill the people. The smell didn’t kill them, the plague did. The people began burning the bodies or submerging them in water. It didn’t matter because the townspeople were already infected. The Tartars began to flee the city as well as the Genoese. The Genoese fled to Europe on ships. Once in Europe, the disease spread quickly. The Bubonic Plague lasted from 1347-1352. The disease spread from everything to animals to the water supply.
Who did it Impact?
The Bubonic Plague mostly effected European countries and parts os Asia. When merchants arrived from Italy, they carried the disease with them. When merchants also returned from Asia, arriving in Messina, they carried the disease with them. This killed most of the crew members, but the surviving crew quickly gave it to the townspeople. The plague was spread through everything from the animals to the water supply. Messina closed the cities ports and sent their ships to Geona. Other towns also sent their ships to Geona. When people began dying so rapidly, they panicked. The panicking people fled from the cities to the countryside. The disease spread from Italy to France, to Germany, to England, to Scotland and to Ireland. By 1352, ⅓ of the European population was dead.
How did it Impact the Migration Pattern of European People?
Overall The Bubonic Plague impacted people all over the Northwestern part of the world. People were dying everywhere, so migration was easier said than done. You couldnt go anywhere whithout having some what of chance of recieving the Bubonic Plague.