Black Death Essay

The Black Death

The Black Death in my point of view was one of the deadliest epidemics of the time, because it killed about 75–200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa and killed 75 million people in Asia. It impacted the long-term society in the human race.

The black death originated in the Himalayan Mountain Range of South Asia in the 1200s. Back in those days the living conditions were often very cramped and dirty, humans lived in close contact with rats. Black rats were the most common at this time, and carried the bacteria called Yersinia Pestis which caused the plague. The rats then spread it to fleas that lived on their bodies. Then fleas would swallow the blood of the infected rats, which now made them infected. Next step of course is that they drink human blood and get us infected. 

Poor hygiene and lack of proper sewage and water methods was one of the major contributions to the Black Death. However, London for example was a crowded, active city, with a population of around 70,000 (a lot for 1 city at that time!). The sanitation in London was extremely poor and normal lifestyle conditions were nasty and below average. The river Thames brought more ships which meant more infection into the city, which spread across the entire country of England. Living conditions in the Medieval Age was punishing. Homes were regularly cold, damp and dark. The only light and fresh air would come from an open door? 

By the end of the plague, 1 out of 5 lives got taken away in London. It was a horrific tragedy present on a massive scale marked by how infections and deadliness the plague carried. However, bad doesn’t always stay bad it also turns good. A recent study shows that 200 years after the black death effect in the 14th century, living circumstances in London have upgraded as the lifespan of people has also increased. Nevertheless, birthrates apparently didn’t change before and after the Black Death. However, people diets and lifestyle have improved after the disease faded, and many people got the result and got rewarded a longer life with good quality (of course unless they were bad). 

In conclusion, this essay was based on the black death and how deadly it was. My first point was where and how it all began. Then I stated how poor the hygiene was and I touched a little on the living conditions. My last point was on how the black death ended and what happened to London's future.