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16 Dreadful Details about the Black Plague

Shaina Lucas September 18, 2018 18 min

The Decameron - Black Death — A 14th-century etching by L. Sabatelli depicting the Black Death in Florence as described in Boccaccio’s Decameron. Wikimedia Commons.

Black Death Drawing http://history-world.org

8. Climate Change May Have Caused The Widespread Death

Climate change during the beginning of the 14th century may have been the cause of the massive death toll. The High Middle Ages was a time of growth and prosperity. New agricultural techniques led to a rise in population which in turn led to more fuel and food demands. The inflation in the environment led to a strain on the lands, so people found new lands to cultivate. Newly cultivated lands triggered more population growth, and so on. That changed in the early 1300s.

During the early 1300s, the climate turned colder and wetter. This resulted in earlier frosts and floods. Primary sources spoke of great famines in 1316 and 1317. There were also reports that the Baltic Sea froze over in 1306 and 1316. With the lack of food, people were malnourished and anyone born during that time had a weaker immune system. Our immune system develops during childhood so these people were more susceptible to diseases. This was the same generation years later that became adults during the Black Death. If the climate change didn’t spark famine, and in turn weaker immune systems, more people may have survived.

Written by

Shaina Lucas

Shaina Lucas is an avid historical buff. She graduated in 2013 from York College of PA with her BA in Professional Writing, Creative Writing, and World History. She then graduated from SNHU in 2015 with her MA, and in 2018 graduated with her MFA in Creative Writing from National University. She is a local actress in York, PA and specializes in Shakespeare, Medieval history, comic history, and the French Revolution. She is also an avid collector of swords and knives from various time periods.