The Black Death

In the 14th century, a devastating plague known as the Black Death, killed an estimated 75 million people. But how did it start and what did people go through? Today we will be talking about Europe.

The Black Death appeared in Europe by sea in October 1347 when 12 Genoese trading ships arrived at the Sicilian port of Messina after a long journey through the Black Sea. The people who gathered on the docks to greet the ships were met with a horrifying surprise: most of the sailors aboard the ships were dead, and those who were still alive were gravely ill. They were overcome with fear, unable to keep food down and delirious with pain. Strangest of all they were covered in mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus. These boils gave the sickness it's name: the Black Death. The Sicilian authorities hastily ordered the fleet of ships out of the harbor, but it was too late: over the next 5 years, the mysterious Black Death would kill more than 20 million people in Europe- almost one third of the continents population!

Even before the Genoese ships pulled into port at Messina, many Europeans had heard rumors about a Great Pestilence ( a fatal disease) that was carving a deadly path across the trade routes of the Near and Far East. However, they were scarcely equipped for the horrible reality of the Black Death.

In women and men alike, at the beginning of the malady(a disease), certain swellings, under the armpits appeared and these were called plague boils. Blood and pus seeped out of the strange swellings, which were followed by a host of other unpleasant symptoms- fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, terrible aches and pains. Shortly after that, death. The Black Death was alarmingly contagious; with the slightest touch of clothes, someone caught the disease. The Black Death was also terrifyingly effective. People who were perfectly healthy, when they went to bed at night could be dead by morning!

As you can see, the 14th century, Black Death, was a horrifying time when people had the slimmest chance of survival. Also the Black Death had a terrifying affect on the people at that time. Goodbye!