Essay about Black Death and Heavy Leather Straps

Submitted By Demilibby
Words: 765
Pages: 4
Open Document
Black Death The Black Death was the worst event that occurred in Britain’s history. Many people believed that the disease was spread by dogs and cats; another theory was that the Black Death was a punishment from God. In reality, this disease was caused by neither. Much later, it was learned that fleas being carried by rats were the real cause of this deadly disease that spread from Asia to Europe by trading ships that carried goods from port to port. Unfortunately, no doctor or medicine was able to overcome or alleviate this disease because they could not determine where the disease really came from or what caused it to spread until much later on in time. The Black Death arrived in Europe by sea from Asia in 1347, when several trading ships docked in the ports of Europe. Many of the sailors in the ships were already affected by the Black Death. When the ships arrived, the sailors were very ill, and many of them were already dead. These ships were later called “Death ships.” Although the authorities quickly ordered the ships away, it was too late. Before it was over, the Black Death killed over 20 million people, almost one third of the continents population. Many scholars believe the nursery rhyme “Ring around the Rosy” is referring to this dreaded disease. The Black Death got its name from the symptoms, which began in men and women with certain swellings in the groin or under the armpit. They grew to the size of an egg or sometimes even as big as the size of an apple. These mysterious blue bumps were called tumors. These tumors spread all over the body and soon changed to black and purple spots. These spots were a sign of certain death. By 1350, this disease spread to England. Symptoms were different in the East; a gush of blood from the nose was a certain sign of inevitable death. People lived in such fear of catching the disease that doctors refused to treat the sick, priests refused to administer the last rites, and shop keepers closed their doors. Others fled the cities and moved to the countryside hoping to avoid the disease. Much to their dismay, there was no safe place. The Black Death not only affected people but animals as well. Cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens were all victims of this plaque. When many sheep died, it caused a shortage of wool throughout Europe. Some people believed their cats and dogs spread or started this disease. People noticed there were bite marks under their dogs and cats fur. Over 1,000 deaths per week were reported in cities. As a result of this belief, the Lord Mayor ordered that all the dogs and cats be killed. The author Daniel Defoe wrote a journal of the plague years. In his journal, he said that 400,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed. The effect of this order was that with fewer cats, the rat population grew and so did the fleas that carried the plague. People also
Show More

Related Documents: Essay about Black Death and Heavy Leather Straps

Bubonic Plague Analysis

originated from Asia, known as “The Black Death,” it began spreading throughout Western Europe. The plague arrived in Europe by the sea in October of 1347, on the arrival of the twelve Genoese trading ships that docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. The majority of the sailors aboard were seriously ill, slowly wide spreading the plague. Over three consecutive years, the plague killed one-third of Europe's population with roughly twenty-five million people dead. The Black Death killed more Europeans than…

Words 975 - Pages 4

Judy Buenoano: The James Goodyear Case

Judy Buenoano, also known as Black Widow, grew up in a unstable home. In her early life Judy’s mother died from tuberculosis, when she was only four years old. She and her younger brother, Robert, were forced to live with their grandparents. Once Judy’s father remarried, the two children went back to their father and new stepmother in New Mexico. Judy claims that her father and stepmother abused and starved her, and made her work as their own slave. When she was fourteen, Judy was sent to prison…

Words 971 - Pages 4