Black_Plague

Victims of the Black Plague

Remains of black plague victims in East Smithfield cemetery.

The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis (Bubonic plague), but recently attributed by some to other diseases. Bubonic plague is thought to have returned to Europe every generation with varying virulence and mortalities until the 1700s. The 14th century eruption of the Black Death had a drastic effect on Europe’s population, irrevocably changing the social structure. It was a serious blow to the Roman Catholic Church, and resulted in widespread persecution of minorities such as Jews, foreigners, beggars, and lepers.

Trevor Hurst Museum of London

Bakalar, Nicholas, “Clues to Black Plague’s Fury In 650-Year-Old Skeletons.” New York Times, January 29, 2008.