Black History: Black Plague in England - Research Paper Example

In the fourteenth century, England was predominantly an agrarian nation although later technological advancements made the country become an exporter of other products that were not agricultural in nature (Cipolla 261). Consequently, London became one of the most important cities in Europe and England trading activities with other nations contributed to the movement of its ships to various places around the globe in search for markets to trade. The movement of these ships in and out of England would be the primary cause of a plague that caused the demise to the country’s population.

The Black Plague traces its origin from the rodents living in Asia in the 760s although historians point out that the bacillus responsible for the plague occurs naturally among humans, which poses a question regarding the failure of the bacillus to cause demise before 1300s (Byrne 6). Consequently, there lacks a logical explanation that explains the reason behind the trigger of the plague although historians point out that the plague arrived in England through the south coast near the Melcombe-regis during the month of August in 1348 (Byrne 8).

As one of the commercial capitals in Europe, England’s networks of commercial routes were instrumental in spreading the disease to other parts of the country and Europe with historians estimating the rate of the spread as one mile per day (Byrne 9). In effect, this ensured that England suffered great loss than any other nation that suffered from the consequences of this plague. It is important to point out that people who suffered from this plague exhibited symptoms that were fatal and terrible.

In this case, the symptoms included painful swellings (buboes) of the lymph nodes along the groin area, legs, necks, and the armpits of a patient. In line with this, it is important to point out that these buboes changed their color from red, to dark purple, and finally to black. Other fatal symptoms included pain in body muscles, mental disorientation, hallucinations, high fever, and bleeding in the patient’s lungs. In addition, a patient developed an extreme desire to go sleep, which increased the seriousness of the symptoms that they suffered once the patient gave in to this desire (“