- Between 1347 and 1353, the Black Death, also called the bubonic plague, struck Europe.
- The Black Death was an epidemic that killed one out of every three people in Europe.
- During that period of time, over 25 million people died.
- The disease was contracted by being bitten by an infected flea.
- The spread of the disease was caused by unsanitary conditions because the people threw human waste and garbage into the streets during the Middle Ages
- Victims got egg-sized lumps under their arm, black spots on their body, and they began spitting up blood.
- Once they had it the victim survived for 3-5 days afterwards.
- There were often so many dead bodies at one time that they were just collected in carts and put in mass graves
- The people tried to protect themselves from this epidemic by wearing masks with long “beaks” and stuffing flowers in it.