How Did The Bubonic Plague Spread To Europe
Trade helping the plague spread – Bolin
In 1347, the Bubonic plague first spread to Europe from its starting point located in central Asia. The plague was spread to Europe mainly because of trade over the Silk Road (a huge trade system between Asia and Europe that.) from previously afflicted countries in Asia. While the Silk Road’s imports and exports were mainly silks, spices, and cloths; merchants unintentionally transported a deadly plague as well. The rats and fleas that were on the ships and caravans carried the bubonic plague. This plague spread to humans from a bite from an infected flea. The Silk Road’s land routes only reached so far though, and its “roads” ended at the Black Sea’s coast and also further south towards the Mediterranean Sea. Though the Black Death could not spread any further by land, this didn’t stop the plague from spreading further. The plague carrying fleas and rats that were picked up in Asia also travelled on merchant ships that would …show more content…
The huge population drop caused by the plague caused an excess of imported goods. This meant that prices started to drop dramatically. Many financial businesses were negatively influenced due to the increased amount of debtors dying. This caused many of these businesses to shut down entirely. On the other hand, jobs in labor and fighting began to pay higher because there were less people to fill the positions. For some people, the economic shift caused by the Black Death was a good thing, but to others it was a tragedy to them and their businesses. Eventually the Black Death passed and the population grew again and the economy slowly returned to how it had been before the plague struck. It was a slow recovery, though and it took many decades for medieval Europe to regain its old financial structure.
In 1347, the Bubonic plague first spread to Europe from its starting point located in central Asia. The plague was spread to Europe mainly because of trade over the Silk Road (a huge trade system between Asia and Europe that.) from previously afflicted countries in Asia. While the Silk Road’s imports and exports were mainly silks, spices, and cloths; merchants unintentionally transported a deadly plague as well. The rats and fleas that were on the ships and caravans carried the bubonic plague. This plague spread to humans from a bite from an infected flea. The Silk Road’s land routes only reached so far though, and its “roads” ended at the Black Sea’s coast and also further south towards the Mediterranean Sea. Though the Black Death could not spread any further by land, this didn’t stop the plague from spreading further. The plague carrying fleas and rats that were picked up in Asia also travelled on merchant ships that would …show more content…
The huge population drop caused by the plague caused an excess of imported goods. This meant that prices started to drop dramatically. Many financial businesses were negatively influenced due to the increased amount of debtors dying. This caused many of these businesses to shut down entirely. On the other hand, jobs in labor and fighting began to pay higher because there were less people to fill the positions. For some people, the economic shift caused by the Black Death was a good thing, but to others it was a tragedy to them and their businesses. Eventually the Black Death passed and the population grew again and the economy slowly returned to how it had been before the plague struck. It was a slow recovery, though and it took many decades for medieval Europe to regain its old financial structure.