Trade Ships

Plague Bearing ships

These two excerpts (one primary source and one secondary source) describe a specific event and a more universal event surrounding the phobia of trade ships during the black death. The first excerpt is a first hand account of a particular encounter with plague ridden ships where two ships arrived in Melcombe and were discovered to be bearing sailors ill with "pestilence." The second source describes the fear these encounters with plague ridden ships caused.

Economic Impact

The European economy relied heavily on trade along the Mediterranean and a widespread cultural belief that ships carry death was economically devastating.

Significance

This is more evidence of the secondary effects that the paranoia and fear from the Black Death had. An economy that flourished from sea trade to suddenly become afraid of ships shows how deeply the core of culture was shaken.