The Plague Of The 14th Century Essay

Today, we know how the plague was spread and why it spread from Asia to Europe. In the 14th century, no one understood it. They did not understand how they got it, or how it spread from person to person. Some people thought that looking into the eyes of the sick would make themselves sick. The doctors that would tend to the sick attempted to treat it by bloodletting and actually puncturing and trying to drain the swollen skin buboes. Many people would avoid all human contact with the sick, even family members in an act of self-preservation. Many people thought that the plague was God’s punishment for the sins of man. Some thought that certain groups of people started the plague which started a witch hunt to eradicate and persecute certain …show more content…
As previously mentioned, the Jews were considered responsible for spreading the plague. One common belief was that the Jews poisoned the wells. Many Jews were massacred during mob violence; especially in Germany. Some Jews escaped death by agreeing to Christian baptisms. Many Jews fearing violence migrated to Eastern Europe. It wasn’t until Pope Clement VI in 1348 declared that the Jews were not responsible for poisoning the wells. However, Jewish prejudices remained. Even to this day, Jews still face discrimination by certain hate groups. It’s possible the Jewish persecution might have originated in the 14th century because of the plague. Some scholars have traced anti-Semitism back to the beginnings of Christianity. Many Christians blamed the Jews for the death of Christ. Further anti-Semitism could be traced as far back as the Roman Empire. The Jews that migrated to the Eastern Mediterranean were forced out of England, France, Spain, Portugal in the centuries leading up to the …show more content…
When we hear of new pandemics or epidemics, we usually feel safe knowing that our government and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has controls and the technology to isolate, immunize, and cure many types of bacterial diseases and infections. Also, private companies invest heavily on research for cures and treatments. Although there might be some initial panic similar to the Ebola outbreak in Africa, it is usually short-lived. However, in the 14th century the plague was a total mystery. There was no medical science and people did not know how they got it and how to treat it. This pandemic had the potential to wipe out the world’s population. If the civilizations of the 14th century were better connected to the Far East, the Americas, and Africa, this plague could have stopped the world’s growth by