by Xi Lin

Created on: May 26, 2008

Cries of Life

The Bubonic plague has returned to strike England various times throughout history. One of the most deadly occasions was named the Black Death.
An article from EyeWitness to History describes the plague:
"The plague presented itself in three interrelated forms. The bubonic variant (the most common) derives its name from the swellings or buboes that appeared on a victim's neck, armpits or groin. A second variation - pneumonic plague - attacked the respiratory system and was spread by merely breathing the exhaled air of a victim. Finally, the septicemic version of the disease attacked the blood system" (EyeWitness To History).

Almost all of those who were exposed to the disease were doomed to die. England's medicine was not advanced enough to provide a remedy. The townspeople had "no defense and no understanding of the cause of the pestilence, the men, women and children caught in its onslaught were bewildered, panicked, and finally devastated" (EyeWitness To History). The great plague would leave its mark on Europe forever. The impact of the Black Death that struck Europe from 1347 to 1350 created massive economic and social chaos by: halting the production of agriculture, causing the execution of innocents, and hastening the downfall of feudalism.

The Black Death greatly diminished the population of Europe. "From 1346 to 1354, an estimated 20 million people died of plague in Europe. Medieval physicians were at a loss to explain the disease" (World of Health). It was noted that the plague killed about a third of Europe's population. With the plague's consistent expansion, it took the lives of more and more workers and forced European agriculture down a slippery slope. A shortage of helping hands in the workforce meant large numbers of untended cattle and crops. Farmers suffered the most from the Black Death. It would be difficult to cultivate all of the land the man owned. This forced farmers to sell their goods at a high price for that would be the only way to feed themselves and their families; eventually this lead to market inflation and starvation and would later lead to many other injustices.

An era of great chaos and confusion led to the deaths of many innocents. At the time, Christianity was the dominant religion in Europe. Because no one knew the reason for the Black Death, many religious and superstitious connections were made. Some thought the plague was God's doing. Other "extremists became flagellants, whipping their bodies bloody as

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