The Black Death

6.3 How deadly was the Black Death?

The Black Death spread across Europe, as illustrated by a map showing its progression.
December 1347: The plague had already spread to the UK.
June 1348: London affected.
December 1348: The plague continues to spread.
June 1349: Plague continues its spread.
December 1349: The plague continues.
June 1350: Plague continues.

Source B: Letter from Francesco Petrarca (1349).
- Describes widespread death and grief in Italy and France.
- Funerals are constant, churches are full, and graveyards are overflowing.
- Notes the loss of friends and the depopulation of regions.
Source C: Robert of Avesbury (1349).
- The disease originated outside Europe and rapidly spread.
- In England, it started in Dorset and spread quickly.
- Victims died within a few hours or days.
- In London, deaths increased from February to April 1349, with over 200 daily burials at Smithfield cemetery.
- The plague subsided around May 1349.
Source D: Medieval graffiti from Ashwell, Hertfordshire.
- Inscription from 1349-1350: "1349 the disease. 1350 pitiless, wild, violent, the surviving people live to tell the tale."

Overcrowding: People lived close together in towns and cities.
Lack of Knowledge: Ignorance about disease transmission.
Unsafe Burial Practices: People burying the dead did not take precautions, leading to further infections.
Shallow Graves: In villages, bodies were buried in shallow holes, allowing animals to dig them up and spread the disease.
Poor Sanitation: Dirty streets provided a breeding ground for rats.
Ignored Regulations: Some towns had cleanliness rules, but many ignored them.
Rats and Fleas: These spread the Black Death.

Worldwide, the Black Death killed approximately 75 million people.
In Europe, about 25 million people died, which was around half of the population.