The Spread Of Bubonic Plague In Medieval Europe

The Bubonic plague was a disease that spread throughout Europe in the 1300s, specifically in the years of 1347 through 1352, however several more outbreaks of the disease occurred in the years to follow. The disease affected people of all ages and of every level of the feudal system from the peasants up to the king. The cause of the disease to be spread at an alarming rate was because of rats carrying the disease through the fleas on them. They roamed through the streets spreading the disease to everyone which was magnified by the horrible sanitation conditions of Medieval Europe. The transfer of the Bubonic Plague to Europe is thought to be because of trade ships bringing in cargo from Asia that carried fleas and rats that were infected. The
With the migration of the disease, brought its aftermath that devastated Medieval Europe in monumental ways; it did this in the sense that one third of the population had died, people became lost because their faith in God and the Church was gone, and the society of Medieval Europe was becoming upheaved in the sense that the feudal system and the manorial economy was weakened. One third of Europe’s population died because of the Black Death or roughly, 25 million people in the first outbreak in the years 1347-1352, giving the devastation of the loss of life. The Black Death killed people by giving them a horrible fever and giving them swellings that were black and sometimes huge or small. The swellings would begin in the groin region as well as the armpit and would begin to spread throughout the whole body. Sometimes they would be bunched together or would be spaced apart. These swellings would also be similar to the dark spots that would also be on the body (Document 1).
With fewer workers, serfs could not collect their rent and have the services of the workers. This was the very basis of the economy in Europe in which a fixed base of workers is needed in order to prosper. Without the workers needed for the economy to thrive, the economy would weaken, serfdom would disappear, and the workers that were around would demand higher wages, which resulted in revolts. The feudal system was also torn down by the fact that not just the peasants were affected by the plague but also manors, lords, clergy, and just about everyone. The social structure that was upheld would fall because the social statuses changed; revolts from peasants would make the status quo change and the ideal society would be lost. The moral fiber of society was also altered as well by the plague, by everyone who survived the plague “gave themselves over to pleasures: monks, priests, nuns, and lay men and women all enjoyed themselves spending and gambling with no thought in regard…. And everyone though himself rich because he had escaped and regained the world”. The plague made people want to enjoy themselves more while they could and they sought every pleasure that made them happy