The Black Death, The Deadliest Plague in Human History

In this video, Kevin Hicks explores the subject of the Black Death, and looks at how the deadliest plague in human history was really spread. In recent years, popular thinking surrounding the Black Death and the Bubonic Plague has undergone significant scrutiny and now, new light has been shed on long-held assumptions as it appears that rats (or fleas on rats, the Yesenia Pestis, which is the name of the bacteria that lives in the gut of the flea) might not have played the critical role in causing the Black Death as we've all believed for so long. Kevin also looks at some of the crazy cures and reveals some of the human stories behind the catastrophic statistics of the deadly plague that killed millions.
#blackdeath #plague #bubonicplague
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CREDITS:
Book reference: Return of the Black Death: The World's Greatest Serial Killer by Susan Scott and Christopher J Duncan.
Medieval ships coming in: National Archives www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Woman pulling plague cart: Wellcome Images CC BY 4.0 wellcomecollection.org
The Pest House: Wellcome Images CC BY 4.0 wellcomecollection.org
Photo of 17th century plague mask: Anagoria, CC BY 3.0
Image of traveller, courtesy of: themedievalhunt.com

Пікірлер: 1 200

  • @lance-corporal
    @lance-corporal10 ай бұрын

    I really like this history channel. there's no flashy graphics but the sets more than make up for it. and it has more of a oral history vibe it's quite unique and very nice.

  • @anne-marie2972

    @anne-marie2972

    10 ай бұрын

    I love it too 💕

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Cheers corp 👍🏻

  • @lanzknecht8599

    @lanzknecht8599

    10 ай бұрын

    Don´t forget Kevin´s models! 😊

  • @kakarikiIck

    @kakarikiIck

    10 ай бұрын

    Same here mate and Kevin alone really brings things to life.

  • @dante666jt

    @dante666jt

    10 ай бұрын

    ​@@thehistorysquadlow key asmr ngl

  • @stevenmolinary3746
    @stevenmolinary374610 ай бұрын

    "OH me chicken's dead." I can't stop laughing at the chicken!

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    😜

  • @hiddenhistory7662

    @hiddenhistory7662

    3 ай бұрын

    OMG...that squawking chicken just killed me, lol. 😂. "SQUEEEEEEEEEE!"

  • @jennesis

    @jennesis

    2 ай бұрын

    @@hiddenhistory7662 Not as much as it killed the chicken hahaaa The sounds were so perfectly timed 🐔🤣

  • @user-ug2hk3go6i

    @user-ug2hk3go6i

    2 ай бұрын

    An eggstraspecial comment.

  • @jennesis

    @jennesis

    2 ай бұрын

    @@user-ug2hk3go6i Stop lol! 😆

  • @eciekoc
    @eciekoc6 ай бұрын

    I wish this guy was my history teacher in every grade.

  • @flagmichael

    @flagmichael

    2 ай бұрын

    My wife and I have had many conversations about the problem of history, as taught, being unbearably boring. It appears the problem is institutional: the students have to be tested on facts, but few tests are devised to see if the student knows what was happening as opposed to what happened when, and the date the Magna Carta was signed. That focus sucks the life - almost literally - from history. History is fascinating until it is taught in school.

  • @andyhillhouse9813
    @andyhillhouse98137 ай бұрын

    I'm loving this channel. No bad acting or unfunny jokes. Just interesting history.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @nararose3991

    @nararose3991

    2 ай бұрын

    Poor Horrible Histories 😂, calling them out like that aha.

  • @JamesWilliams-gp6ek
    @JamesWilliams-gp6ek10 ай бұрын

    You are such an amazing history storyteller. I appreciate your clear communication and the enthralling spirit you give to each post.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @Spitefire6
    @Spitefire610 ай бұрын

    I went to the village of Eyam a few years ago, ive been to their plague stone, whats even more interesting is they recorded that payment for goods was given, with coins that had been washed with vinegar, even then, they knew vinegar could stop infection, even if they didnt know why.

  • @shlby69m

    @shlby69m

    7 ай бұрын

    they had to use trial & error to find what worked. Unfortunatly, vinegar doesn't work in bodies, since virus live in veins

  • @eciekoc

    @eciekoc

    6 ай бұрын

    @@shlby69m It works on the surface of objects....like coins.

  • @SaRkAsMuSoNe-

    @SaRkAsMuSoNe-

    3 ай бұрын

    Isn’t that the one on Dorset or is that another one?

  • @Spitefire6

    @Spitefire6

    3 ай бұрын

    @Bambi-em6vm naa, its in Derbyshire! Its a lovely place to hike too, well worth a day trip

  • @chthulu27
    @chthulu272 ай бұрын

    Bit of trivia: there's 3 forms of plague: Bubonic, with a fatality rate of roughly 50%, Septicemic with a fatality rate around 75% and Pneumonic with a fatality rate approaching 100%. The fact that there are at least 3 different recognized strains could explain some of the differences witnessed historically about how the disease spread and how _anyone_ managed to survive.

  • @BleedEaglesGreen023
    @BleedEaglesGreen02310 ай бұрын

    The personal stories that come out of these times are so fascinating to me. Your ability to turn history into a human experience is unmatched, thanks Kevin.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    That's so kind of you, thanks. 👍🏻

  • @fangslaughter1198

    @fangslaughter1198

    10 ай бұрын

    Hear Hear!!

  • @georgedonnellan36

    @georgedonnellan36

    8 ай бұрын

    Samuel pepys described bear bating, how horrendous, and God sat back with folded arms, and watched it all??😢

  • @fangslaughter1198

    @fangslaughter1198

    8 ай бұрын

    @@georgedonnellan36 I have an English Bulldog. Moose. After Bear Baiting was outlawed in Britain. The breed was dying out. As they were bred specifically for the cruel spectacle. Americans who were enamoured of them started breeding them. That’s how we end up with EBDs that look like they do in the cartoons. Ironically they are the MOST gentle creatures I’ve ever met. It makes one so sad to think of the thousands with such cruel lives. PS. Kevin has met Moose. We in Saskatchewan are lucky to have the man. The legend. Living in our province. ❤️ kzread.info/dash/bejne/np6sm9qrp5zbqKQ.html

  • @monicacall7532
    @monicacall75328 ай бұрын

    I always think of Ingmar Bergman’s famous film “The Seventh Seal” where a Swedish knight returning home from the crusades in 1348 during the first wave of the Black Death and encounters Death and duels with him for his life. Such a great film!

  • @jaywalker3087
    @jaywalker308710 ай бұрын

    As a trained AnE nurse I was astounded by the fact that our ports were kept open during Covid. With 100, 000 people arriving through Heathrow Airport in such a short space of time, a mere few hours, we were exposed to Covid very quickly. Commerce and Greed took the place of commons sense...😮😮

  • @flashrobbie

    @flashrobbie

    10 ай бұрын

    I live in Auckland, pretty much the economic powerhouse of New Zealand. We were very lucky with our government and the lockdowns but there were opponents and subversives who made very unexpected allies. I can see how the slow spread would happen even if the vast majority of the population with modern education did what they were supposed to.

  • @masa461

    @masa461

    10 ай бұрын

    COVID is a perfect example of how fear takes place of common sense. COVID was out and about long before we even knew about its existence. The lockdowns did nothing to prevent its spread, but caused enormous damage to the physical and mental health of people, especially children and adolescents, and in addition caused serious economic damage.

  • @sn4831

    @sn4831

    10 ай бұрын

    All evidence suggest l**kdowns were not an effective measure proportionate to the risk we ever faced from C*vid. It was ever a fraction as dangerous as the plague. Then add all the missed cancer diagnoses, etc. The biggest public health mistake in history.

  • @Seashed

    @Seashed

    10 ай бұрын

    Go to Texas, millions of illegal Mexicans pouring through the border completely unknown.

  • @ishadowxhunter-0135

    @ishadowxhunter-0135

    10 ай бұрын

    Yes. Common sense. Over sickness with a 99.97% survival rate. Yes, closing your ports would have stopped goods from coming in. SO Yeha common sense... Something you don"t have huh

  • @ryand.3858
    @ryand.38589 ай бұрын

    You’re a great storyteller. Since we’re not being bombarded with dramatic images (which is so common with ai) we can truly focus on your words and the imagination runs wild. It might sound kind of lame but when you were describing the village in the final story under quarantine I could see it in my imagination, the plague stone, the lovers, all of it. Well done sir.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    9 ай бұрын

    That's lovely to hear, thank you 👍🏻

  • @Paulftate
    @Paulftate10 ай бұрын

    Kevin Hicks? Thank you for your stories you tell them so well

  • @HEKVT
    @HEKVT10 ай бұрын

    Looking at the black death from an economic perspective, at least from what we were taught, is that the Black Death was one of the factors that allowed humans to escape the Malthusian Trap and pave the wave for population growth. There weren't enough people to tend to the fertile lands, so they were paid more, providing more income but better crop yields due to the fertile land.

  • @soma4u289

    @soma4u289

    10 ай бұрын

    ....and here we are today, now their trying to get rid of us for Economics. How the stone wheel has turned!

  • @damienvalentine5043

    @damienvalentine5043

    10 ай бұрын

    For a few years, *some* farmers were paid more, briefly. And then in the long term, *all* farmers were paid more, permanently. But in between, there were a few generations where the landowners (being feudal lords) simply responded to the peasants' demands for more pay by making it illegal to ask, and then punishing them when they asked anyway. In English history, for instance, you're looking at the "Statute of Laborers" from 1351. Also, remember that a small labor pool is a two-edged sword: if you can charge more for your goods and services, so can all the other survivors. Inflation becomes a problem.

  • @ryanhampson673

    @ryanhampson673

    3 ай бұрын

    It’s also where Surnames (Last names) mainly originated from. Before a person would rarely if ever leave their village so if you were named George and the only George in town that was good enough. Afterwards they needed another name to differentiate between people so last names became either the town you came from or a lot of the times what your profession was. Smith, Taylor, Farmer etc. My last name comes from son of a rope maker and my family crest has three hemp rakes on it because hemp was used for ropes and cordage.

  • @Koutsimouka

    @Koutsimouka

    3 ай бұрын

    @@ryanhampson673that’s very interesting.. I wonder where my last name Parker comes from

  • @danmcg4363

    @danmcg4363

    2 ай бұрын

    @@Koutsimoukagood question. I’ve often thought about origins of second names. Mine is McGuirk. Id love to know what it means, or if actually even means anything

  • @RedHeadedTsunami
    @RedHeadedTsunami10 ай бұрын

    Hi, Kevin Hicks! Love your videos. One small correction? The Yersinia pestis is not the flea. It is the bacteria carried by the fleas that can live on rats, amongst other mammals. Yes, the rats might not be able to travel by themselves so fast. But, when they stowaway on ships, they can travel far and fast. Also, the fleas that carry the Yersinia pestis bacteria can transfer to one human to another human. The fleas might also get wrapped up in a rug and then, when that rug arrives at the destination and is shaken out the fleas and any waste they have made might be flung into the air. I live in New Mexico, USA where the Bubonic Plague still exists. We like to say we are "The Land of the Flea and the Home of the Plague." When it first comes on, it can resemble the flu. But, if your doctor is informed you have been here, they can check for it and save your life. I know a man who's had it twice! A New York couple visited here a few years back and went home then felt like they had the flu. The New York City doctors were puzzled. As soon as the news got back here, a doctor was able to get the right stuff to NYC to save them. Please keep making your excellent videos!

  • @user-op6eu3tt9j

    @user-op6eu3tt9j

    8 ай бұрын

    Next time on Jackanory...

  • @grendelgrendelsson5493

    @grendelgrendelsson5493

    7 ай бұрын

    I was reading an article about the plague in the USA in which it said that there's around seven cases a year! There were pictures of a man who'd camped in a National Park, (in California if I remember correctly), near a ground squirrel burrow in which the squirrel had died. The fleas seemed to be a tad peckish and fed on the camper. He developed the infection which led to septicaemic plague and the loss of his nose and fingers. I believe that in 2022 a squirrel in Colorado was found to be carrying plague. I wonder if this represents a spread to previously plague free areas? I hope that this is of some interest to you.

  • @ciarangreene8074

    @ciarangreene8074

    6 ай бұрын

    Yes, as a medical microbiologist I did have to play that make and make sure I'd heard correctly. Y. pestis is definitely a bacteria.

  • @LittleKitty22

    @LittleKitty22

    3 ай бұрын

    That's correct. The plague also still exists in India where there are several cases every year. In the South Western US it's mainly wildlife that carries the plague, and that can spread to humans.

  • @tandiparent1906

    @tandiparent1906

    3 ай бұрын

    Don't prairie dogs also carry it, or the flea that carries it? Thought I had read that a few years ago when an older couple, visiting NY from Arizona passed away from it. ...Hi all from SW Oklahoma

  • @ruthandrews429
    @ruthandrews4292 ай бұрын

    Kevin, My daddy told me about the “Pest” house of the early 1900’s in West Virginia, USA. He was just a child then & he said that there was a stone where the provisions for the unfortunate souls in the pest house were housed. I had never thought of this until I heard of it on the Historysquad. I feel as if you’ve shared volumes of gems from the past. I feel as if I’m time traveling on a great adventure each time I watch you! Thanks so much.

  • @JonseyWales
    @JonseyWales8 ай бұрын

    That was totally absorbing and absolutely fascinating. Brilliantly presented too, by a natural, effortless teacher. Kevin Hicks should have his own TV show! BBC give this man a series!!!

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    8 ай бұрын

    Haha, cheers!

  • @josrukker
    @josrukker10 ай бұрын

    I think you might have misunderstood some things Kevin, Yersinia pestis is a bacteria, not the flea itself ;) the flea carried these bacteria and transmitted them by biting but it could also be transmitted from person to person by spit drops when contagious. So you have 2 forms of plague. From flea bites and the longue plague which was transmitted by couching.

  • @lichh64

    @lichh64

    3 ай бұрын

    Thank you for pointing this out, I'm surprised more people didn't give more attention to this comment.

  • @minraja
    @minraja10 ай бұрын

    I was always under the impression when bubonic plague turns into pneumonic plague, that is when the plague becomes airborn. It also becomes twice as deadly when it makes that transition.

  • @NoName-lo9ym
    @NoName-lo9ym10 ай бұрын

    There is some speculation that the Bubonic Plague of the time spread more like a modern Pneumonic Plague. This strain has, thank God, died out. Fingers crossed never to return. A long incubation in the victim is a nightmare disease to control and could explain why it spread so far in a society with transportation modes far slower than today.

  • @edwardtroth8630

    @edwardtroth8630

    10 ай бұрын

    Yeah, they finally found it in 2018 in Madagascar I think.

  • @nobodysbaby5048

    @nobodysbaby5048

    10 ай бұрын

    There was a pneumonic version, it was airborne.

  • @kingjoe3rd

    @kingjoe3rd

    10 ай бұрын

    This isn't speculation, this is what happened. The bubonic plague spread from fleas on rats to humans, where it morphed in to the pneumonic plague when it was spread from human to human. I didn't think this was controversial.

  • @333ivan333

    @333ivan333

    10 ай бұрын

    Excellent points and fascinating video Unfortunately, IIRC the sylvan plague that lurks in the (western) American wilds has a propensity to go pneumonic; I've heard of several fatalities from this (also it has the horrifying habit of becoming septicemic plague) . One gentleman miraculously survived after being in a coma from septicemic plague that he contracted when he tried to save a stray kitten that was infected (it apparently coughed on him but strangely enough, he developed septicemic rather than pneumonic). The guy lost all his fingers and his nose IIRC. Another gentleman unfortunately perished when he developed pneumonic plague from a bobcat that he had skinned; IIRC epidemiologists believe he actually contracted plague from a flea on the bobcat (he hadn't let it hang and get cold long enough for the fleas to depart), but his infection "went pneumonic" soon after he was bitten

  • @nobodysbaby5048

    @nobodysbaby5048

    10 ай бұрын

    @@kingjoe3rd There was a pneumonic form that was airborne. Deadlier & more unpleasant, if that's possible.

  • @Bullseyearchery
    @Bullseyearchery6 ай бұрын

    Thanks Kevin, fascinating. The plague arrived in Eyam (pronounced eem) late August 1665. It came in a parcel of cloth sent from London to the village tailor Alexander Hadfield. When Hadfield’s assistant George Viccars spread the cloth out by the fire to air, he found it was infested with rat fleas. He died a few days later.

  • @r.j.powers381
    @r.j.powers38110 ай бұрын

    This is a frightening plague. I'm intrigued by this revisionist history of its beginnings. "You must always keep an open mind when it comes to history." Excellent quote from you. I personally am always open to have my opinion affected as new information comes along from a reliable and verifiable source. I love trekking through history with you. Thanks, Kevin, for another great journey.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    My pleasure, cheers 👍🏻

  • @bri4210
    @bri421010 ай бұрын

    Hello! Love these videos. I'm a nurse and completed a project on yersinia pestis during my pre-requisite studies. While rats are most commonly associated with the plague, anything which may carry fleas can be a vector for the bacteria. I wonder what that would have been in Iceland? Pneumonic form certainly existed as well.

  • @TanDeRamos
    @TanDeRamos10 ай бұрын

    You have an absolute talent of storytelling the medieval history and i love it.

  • @JohnnySmith557
    @JohnnySmith55710 ай бұрын

    I am always happy to see a new video from you, I find them very well made and informative and sometimes fun, in my opinion your channel is the best ones that there is, when it comes to this time of period in history. Thank you for uploading another one video!

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you very much!

  • @davidstrother496
    @davidstrother49610 ай бұрын

    Thanks, Kevin. I knew that the plague, and the Black Death started with the fleas from the rats, but then quickly spread from person to person. I can't even begin to really imagine living with this for so long, and of course, there was not really any other idea of how to treat it other than the isolation of victims via quarantine. I really wish that history teachers could have had the enthusiasm for the story that you do, and I hope that history stays important to coming generations. Cheers from Texas.

  • @vicinityfpv1932
    @vicinityfpv193210 ай бұрын

    This is fantastic quality, as usual. Every video is better content than documentaries on state television, and it's just one man, dedicated to telling history. Glad I found this channel.

  • @user-ut7wz7mh2r
    @user-ut7wz7mh2r3 ай бұрын

    I've just discovered your channel, and while I've always loved history, you have a certain way of telling stories that makes this very interesting without needing to have fake videos or repetitive sliding images. I appreciate the effort you put into it, and can't wait to see your new content! Cheers

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    3 ай бұрын

    Thanks 👍🏻

  • @Gimboid79
    @Gimboid7910 ай бұрын

    I visited Eyam only a few days ago, a fascinating and tragic story. The church is beautiful, but its a bit of a hike up to Mompesson's well where I believe they dropped supplies off to the isolating village.

  • @PackLeader-1990
    @PackLeader-199010 ай бұрын

    I was actually aware of the near constant status of plague-stricken regions that the sickness periodically showed up in over hundreds of years during the high middle ages in Europe. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks Doctor Hicks 😎. Awaiting your next upload as always!

  • @voids4818
    @voids481810 ай бұрын

    Wow. Absolutely fascinating. So much of what I thought I knew about the plague has, as you said in the beginning, been flipped on its head! Wonderful video Kevin, you’ve earned yourself a new subscriber!

  • @eldorados_lost_searcher
    @eldorados_lost_searcher10 ай бұрын

    I think this is the second video I've seen that referenced that source. The other one focused pretty much exclusively on the quarantine aspect, so this broader focus is interesting. Thank you, Kevin!

  • @MachineSpirit101
    @MachineSpirit10110 ай бұрын

    You are brilliant, Mr. Hicks. You really bring history alive. Bravo.

  • @anne-marie2972

    @anne-marie2972

    10 ай бұрын

    I agree

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @Herculesbiggercousin
    @Herculesbiggercousin10 ай бұрын

    Hey Kevin, the world needs your voice to read or narrate books! Love you, the set, and story telling as always!

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Thanks 👍🏻

  • @Shadolife
    @Shadolife10 ай бұрын

    I'm always learning something new from Kevin, and in the most pleasant of ways. Thank you sir!

  • @azwestyman6708
    @azwestyman670810 ай бұрын

    Absolutely spellbinding stories about history 😊. Thank you so much for all of the great information, especially the way you tell it 😮

  • @cynicaldodgyknees6248
    @cynicaldodgyknees624810 ай бұрын

    Kevin, you had me in pieces with the chicken! 😂 Another thoroughly engaging talk where I learned something new from you, yet again. Thank you for all of the work you and your team put into these videos. Truly excellent. 👍👏

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Our pleasure, thanks 👍🏻

  • @killernor23
    @killernor239 ай бұрын

    I was always under the impression that Yesenia pestis was the name of the bacteria that fleas carry. Which commonly infect rodents. Although it can infect all mammals. And the different types of plagues are spread by different ways the bacteria can infect you. Such as coughing can spread it if the bacteria has incubated in your lungs rather than your blood. Which is how a flee would infect you. In the US in the southwest such as NM and AZ there are still reported plague cases from people camping but common antibiotics can cure it. The bacteria isn't only local to Asia.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    9 ай бұрын

    You are right, it is the bacteria 👍🏻

  • @MichaelSmith-mc8bd
    @MichaelSmith-mc8bd10 ай бұрын

    As always Kev, very informative and thought provoking. . Brilliantly told.

  • @bramiwami
    @bramiwami10 ай бұрын

    This channel is a treasure. Thank you so much!

  • @joshuawagner2590
    @joshuawagner25909 ай бұрын

    This was a challenging video for me to watch. I love history, and I find historical diseases fascinating. But the sheer scale of pain and horror that people endured...it keeps me awake at night. Thanks for the engaging presentation, Mr. Hicks, and for those *hilarious* chicken moments.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    9 ай бұрын

    Cheers 👍🏻

  • @tomwhitehurst1333
    @tomwhitehurst133310 ай бұрын

    Hey new subscriber here and currently pouring through all your videos. It's great to see someone so enthusiastic about history and who can tell the stories so well.

  • @kadoj

    @kadoj

    10 ай бұрын

    G😮

  • @JamesWilliams-gp6ek

    @JamesWilliams-gp6ek

    10 ай бұрын

    I'm new too and enjoying these intriguing history stories. Just enthralling.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Thanks & welcome Tom 👍🏻

  • @kadoj

    @kadoj

    10 ай бұрын

    Well, apparently my pocket left that little gem of a comment without my authorization, so I just wanted to revise it to say this is one of my favorite channels on KZread within the realm of historical study and such. Stumbled on the channel via the tour of Goodrich castle. If I may just put forward a fan request, without any attached pressure or anything, if it’s possible, Kev, might you be willing to do more videos of a similar nature to that? I love your usual content as well, there’s no problems whatsoever there, but I just love the way you present the history and focus on what I consider to be many of the most interesting details, relevant anecdotes, and other pertinent tidbits of knowledge and information. Most other channels just do a very basic “walkthrough,” most of the time without even a basic or cursory history included, and often no verbal input or information at all. It can be super frustrating when the camera pans past some rare, unique, or otherwise interesting feature of some fortress or another, and just moves right on along without even a second look. I’ve seen some people just waltz right past intriguing passages, unique architectural or defensive features, and the like, without so much as a passing comment, let alone a useful description or relevant anecdote. The History Squad doesn’t mess around with such nonsense, and I love it. =] I know you can’t be going to a different castle every week or anything, but if you have the opportunity, I’m sure I’m lot the only one who would be very excited to see such content from you. I’m not sure if you even still live in the UK, which would make that rather difficult if not, but I figured I’d throw it out there. Thanks for what you do!

  • @tomwhitehurst1333

    @tomwhitehurst1333

    10 ай бұрын

    @@kadoj yes I did wonder what you meant

  • @user-kg8cf6ls7j
    @user-kg8cf6ls7j7 ай бұрын

    Another great video, again learned something new about that period of History, keep up the great work.

  • @Robin_Goodfellow
    @Robin_Goodfellow2 ай бұрын

    A Journal of the Plague Year was the best book I read in 2020. All of the human behavior in that book matched perfectly with the insanity happening all around me during the pandemic. It brought me some solace, knowing that we had survived worse.

  • @666LUFC
    @666LUFC10 ай бұрын

    Excellent as usual. I have visited the grave at Eyam on one of my long distance walks with the LDWA. Nice to hear the story again from your goodself.

  • @thedevilinthecircuit1414
    @thedevilinthecircuit141410 ай бұрын

    Fantastic story, Kev! Daniel DeFoe wrote about the plague years after it occurred; he was born in ~1660, which put him at five years old at the time.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Yeah, I realised that later 👍🏻

  • @passionforlust
    @passionforlust10 ай бұрын

    Indeed, catching up video wise, great informative video Kevin, cheers!

  • @louisemerriman1079
    @louisemerriman10797 ай бұрын

    Excellent video . Thankyou Kevin. Very informative

  • @janetbowersox83
    @janetbowersox838 ай бұрын

    What an great show! Such a amazing amount of facts and information to enlighten and also dispel long held beliefs of how the plagur started. Thank you for sharing your wealth of research!

  • @nilsalmquist9424
    @nilsalmquist942410 ай бұрын

    Excellent as always Kevin, thanks very much.

  • @bilindalaw-morley161
    @bilindalaw-morley1614 ай бұрын

    The inventiveness and work Kevin puts into his props and his interesting presentations make this one of the best history channels. Always informative and interesting, they're all such a pleasure to watch n rewatch.

  • @lorettablakeman3335
    @lorettablakeman333510 ай бұрын

    Love your story-telling powers,fascinating!

  • @kenijonesESQ
    @kenijonesESQ10 ай бұрын

    Another great show Kevin....cheers

  • @lizpeterson6719
    @lizpeterson67196 ай бұрын

    I LOVE history. Thank you for your research and the courage to make this channel. Good for you and good for me that I found you. I'm Canadian with British/Irish/Welsh heritage. I can't get enough of the history. Keep bring these awesome stories.❤❤❤

  • @AA-bj1bu
    @AA-bj1bu3 ай бұрын

    I love this channel, I never knew there were 2 distinct but similar plagues. Learn something new everyday!

  • @Metal-Gear-Moogle
    @Metal-Gear-Moogle7 ай бұрын

    Great video, Mr Hicks. Well done

  • @AmikLanfranco
    @AmikLanfranco10 ай бұрын

    What a fascinating and equally horrifying story. Thank you for telling it so well.

  • @jeningle8288
    @jeningle828810 ай бұрын

    Interesting talk on the plague, brought it home a bit as I live in Penrith. There are a number of houses from that period still here and lived in. Imagine what those houses saw. We also have a plague stone here. Thanks Kevin.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    A pleasure 👍🏻

  • @scottcarroll7782

    @scottcarroll7782

    10 ай бұрын

    What is a plague stone?

  • @kakarikiIck

    @kakarikiIck

    10 ай бұрын

    ​@@scottcarroll7782I think it was where they left supplies for another village if I heard right.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    @@scottcarroll7782 it's a stone where food was delivered to the afflicted during an outbreak of plague

  • @jos3ph.d
    @jos3ph.d9 ай бұрын

    Fascinating topic sir, nice video!

  • @kriswilliams8044
    @kriswilliams80448 ай бұрын

    Brilliant video kev. As always really enjoyed it.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    8 ай бұрын

    Thanks 👍

  • @eddiesolo1971
    @eddiesolo197110 ай бұрын

    Very interesting Kev, I always thought it was just the fleas and rats, not from person to person. Makes sense if you think about it but I was taught the same. Thank you Dr Kev.

  • @TheWhatMASTER
    @TheWhatMASTER9 ай бұрын

    Love you're historical storytelling style! Especially you're videos touring medieval castles lol I've never seen one in person as I live in the US but through you're videos it makes me feel like I'm right there!

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    9 ай бұрын

    Thank you very much!

  • @toddmitchell9172
    @toddmitchell917210 ай бұрын

    Well you have done it again great video always love hearing the stories.The first one I had seen was on castles not sure which one now but subscribed right away.Thank you

  • @kimtozer5517
    @kimtozer551710 ай бұрын

    Nice one Kevin. Another great video

  • @TheMikeMcCaffrey
    @TheMikeMcCaffrey10 ай бұрын

    I really love this channel and this a hyper specific request, but some of my favorite channels have started releasing the audio of their videos on Spotify and I would love if you started to do that because I like listening to your videos as I go to sleep. Don't know how difficult the process is, but if you follow through I will most definitely support your patreon. I grew up going to Warwick castle everytime I visited my family in England as a kid and was obsessed with knights. As an American this is not super common and I wonder if you had a part to play in that early obsession. Your videos have shown me that I still have that same love for medieval history and all that stories that accompany them. Don't worry about the request if it is too much of a bother, but I feel that not having your voice and storytelling in audio form would be a shame because I think many would benefit from hearing your voice while driving, hiking, or in my strange case sleeping.

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Hi Mike, that's really interesting, we've actually begun to think about creating podcasts already, Julie just needs to get her head around it and look at the process, how it works and how it would grow etc., but your comment has spurred us on to maybe look a bit harder now. Bear with us, but if we do, we'll announce it here on a community post and on Facebook. Thanks for your interest and kind words. Kevin 👍🏻

  • @connorhall70
    @connorhall7010 ай бұрын

    love these types of videos, proper in depth. thanks!

  • @rjprivate
    @rjprivate10 ай бұрын

    One of the pest symptoms is hearing voices distorted so be ware!

  • @derrickstorm6976

    @derrickstorm6976

    10 ай бұрын

    I see what you did there!

  • @Daralyndk
    @Daralyndk7 ай бұрын

    Absolutely incredible I just found this channel and I already love it

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    7 ай бұрын

    Glad to hear it, welcome!

  • @darrkinney1787
    @darrkinney17877 ай бұрын

    I just love your history lessons. Thank you!

  • @MrIliched
    @MrIliched10 ай бұрын

    What an amazing video.

  • @ramonarodriguez149
    @ramonarodriguez14910 ай бұрын

    Thank you for the info. I also thought it was spread per fleas on rats.

  • @reecehorner3736
    @reecehorner373610 ай бұрын

    I watch a lot of your videos, All excellent, This is probably your best Kevin, Appreciate your time and yes I probably think you are right about the black death and bubonic plague being different

  • @lisazinn866
    @lisazinn86610 ай бұрын

    Fantastic as usual Kev!

  • @realhistoryplease4778
    @realhistoryplease477810 ай бұрын

    Very interesting video as per usual. The cause of the Black Death was definitely caused be the Yersinia pestis bacterium, which has been proven by DNA analysis of remains. Transmission is most likely a combination of the rat flea AND human to human contact, I.e not solely one method. Plaque rates reduced significantly during winter, where rats are less active. Also rat fleas will bite humans and other mammals when their normal host animal dies. Humans lived in much closer proximity to animals in urban areas then than today. Another important factor is that the Yersinia pestis bacterium can be present in flea excrement. The bacterium can thus be spread via the air. Add to that human to human contagion, trade routes carrying rats , and dormant fleas resulted in the perfect cocktail.

  • @elizabethmcglothlin5406
    @elizabethmcglothlin540610 ай бұрын

    You are one of my favorite historical narrators. (Also thank you for a delightfully casual representation of Vitiligo! I've hesitated to mention it, but representation matters.)

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Thanks 👍🏻

  • @joshbi
    @joshbi8 ай бұрын

    Thanks for all your effort on this channel, you've really reinvigorated my love for a variety of historical periods. You're great at making the history more personal, especially with your own stories and costumes thrown in. I've actually been to Eyam a few times; it's a great story with a lesson to learn, and I'm glad you can help share it with a wider audience! Keep up the good work :)

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    8 ай бұрын

    My pleasure! Thanks for your kind words 👍🏻

  • @DietArchitect

    @DietArchitect

    6 ай бұрын

    @@thehistorysquad Such a good video-thanks so much! After studying how poisonous cottonseeds are, and symptoms of its poison, I started wondering if it had anything to do with the Black Plague, since the symptoms were basically the same. I read 2 of the books you mentioned, and much more, and it became clear that the change in cotton ginning technology, which literally crushed the cottonseeds into the cotton, making very toxic cotton, might explain the Plague symptoms, spread, and continued occurence. I'd love for you to check out a powerpoint I put together describing the many problems of cottonseed, with many quotations about how the cotton industry is clearly connected with Plague, as stated in the 1930's regarding Uganda. kzread.info/dash/bejne/hZttlLWHeMSnp7Q.html

  • @deb-1558
    @deb-155810 ай бұрын

    I live in the west midlands and there's areas of ground you can't dig up due to the the plague still in the ground due to dead bodies being there.

  • @BerylForrest
    @BerylForrest7 ай бұрын

    I'm really enjoying your videos, you're a great storyteller, 👍 👌. I saw a program on TV some time ago, I'm pretty sure it was about this, and the hypothesis was that it was spread by human body lice which also infested the clothes, so when they died and their clothes were passed on to another person, they too got infected. After a while, all the clothes were burned.

  • @annwatson4276
    @annwatson42767 ай бұрын

    I could listen to you forever. Love your story telling

  • @kathleenhill5838
    @kathleenhill583810 ай бұрын

    Just fascinating , I really enjoy your informative story telling.

  • @haroldstewart
    @haroldstewart10 ай бұрын

    Hiya pal 🖐️ Great show !!! I wish I had a history teacher like you at school 😅 I would of listened 👍

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Cheers 👍🏻

  • @dougaldouglas8842
    @dougaldouglas884210 ай бұрын

    Just about to view this. I was told that rats, flee ridden rats spread it, in England through the port of Southampton

  • @Sattva468
    @Sattva46810 ай бұрын

    My favorite storyteller discussing my favorite topic! Thank you - I learned new things.

  • @rikijett310
    @rikijett31010 ай бұрын

    Always excellent and informative!!! 👍😊👍

  • @krissymarklewis1793
    @krissymarklewis179310 ай бұрын

    Ah great, was waiting for you to post a new vid.

  • @krissymarklewis1793

    @krissymarklewis1793

    10 ай бұрын

    Iceland? I thought it would end up in Asda! :)

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    😂

  • @Stroheim333
    @Stroheim3336 ай бұрын

    Bubonic plague can _also_ be transmitted by contact with infected tissue or exposure to the cough of another human, although not very effectively (nowadays). The bacterium probably mutated and either became temporarily more infectious by contact and cough, or became less infectious by contact and cough. Aggressive bacterias and viruses always tend to be less virulent over time, of the simple reason that they inhibit their own spread if they kill their victims too fast and in too big numbers.

  • @marcgrenier9431
    @marcgrenier943111 күн бұрын

    This gentleman, in my opinion, is one of the most entertaining characters on the internet. His quiet humour and informative storytelling is a pleasant escape from the usual cacaphony of unsettling bullcrap that is the majority of the internet today. As a former soldier and policeman, tough callings to be sure, it's a measure of his honest and gentle character that he has retained such humour and optimism. I'm quite happy that he chose my country to settle in his golden years. We are much richer for it. 🇨🇦

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    11 күн бұрын

    How lovely of you, thank you very much.

  • @daijenkins704
    @daijenkins70410 ай бұрын

    Brilliant video! Scared the hell out of me the effects of the plague

  • @UnquenchableHarvest
    @UnquenchableHarvest10 ай бұрын

    Another great one, Kev! I coulda swore you were about to say smallpox, but no. The good ol' bubonic. Interesting to learn that there's still an abiding mystery about it.

  • @TEXASREDD76
    @TEXASREDD7610 ай бұрын

    It’s crazy that in Europe wars kept being fought despite the plague

  • @kickinwinghotboi883
    @kickinwinghotboi8835 ай бұрын

    It's incredible how people back then were able to figure things out such as an incubation period with the plague or some seemingly impossible task at the time like discovering planets in the solar system. Just incredible, those lads

  • @Jason-hk9dq
    @Jason-hk9dq10 ай бұрын

    Absolutely fascinating. Loved this video.

  • @marksargent2440
    @marksargent244010 ай бұрын

    It sounds abit like covid to me 😂jokes a side we still haven't learned anything from our history thanks for the new information ❤

  • @jadetousignant180

    @jadetousignant180

    10 ай бұрын

    Lol right

  • @sterling557

    @sterling557

    3 ай бұрын

    COVID was over hyped, and used as justification for Fascist control of society. The public was, and still is, lied to about this event by the Gov't and the Media.

  • @CJ808GoStupid

    @CJ808GoStupid

    3 ай бұрын

    nothing like covid

  • @coffeecocaine8878
    @coffeecocaine887810 ай бұрын

    For the last 2 Halloweens I dressed as a plague doctor. Funny thing is, no one knew what I was lol. Whenever I told them I dressed in it because of the irony in the times we live in, abit of dark humor I suppose.

  • @anne-marie2972

    @anne-marie2972

    10 ай бұрын

    Really 🤔 ? Sad that people are not intrested in history 🙁.

  • @coffeecocaine8878

    @coffeecocaine8878

    10 ай бұрын

    @@anne-marie2972 ignorance of history is hereditary, if the individual isn't fascinated by it. Spread the knowledge to your kids, itll only benefit them.

  • @anne-marie2972

    @anne-marie2972

    10 ай бұрын

    @@coffeecocaine8878 So true 👍

  • @andrewkathryngriffith7223
    @andrewkathryngriffith72233 ай бұрын

    Where has this history channel been when I’ve been doing my searches?? I could sit and listen to this guy…

  • @BranTheBald
    @BranTheBald3 ай бұрын

    This channel is amazing, it's special when you can find someone that makes history fun

  • @marknesselhaus4376
    @marknesselhaus437610 ай бұрын

    I could not stop giggling due to the use of your rubber chicken Lol. All seriousness, those were terrible times but you put such a fresh take on the history that I can not resist watching and learning. BTW back in the 1970's and 80's I was heavily involved with late 16th and 17th century Spanish Florida living history and reenactments so you are rekindling that interest in me once again😀

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Excellent! 👍🏻

  • @als3022

    @als3022

    10 ай бұрын

    St. Augustine I gather.

  • @marknesselhaus4376

    @marknesselhaus4376

    10 ай бұрын

    @@als3022 Yup, I love that place and walking the town streets and the Fort can really take you back in time just like your videos 🙂

  • @beeftec5862
    @beeftec586210 ай бұрын

    I'm fascinated by the black death

  • @debrajohnston3450
    @debrajohnston34507 ай бұрын

    You're such a great storyteller, you bring history to life.

  • @stephenhaywood5672
    @stephenhaywood56728 ай бұрын

    You just bring history to life Kevin. Thanks 👏👏👏

  • @cursedchest6469
    @cursedchest646910 ай бұрын

    Is it my headphones or is the audio kind of painful to listen to?

  • @cursedchest6469

    @cursedchest6469

    10 ай бұрын

    I noticed it around the 7-8 minute mark

  • @thehistorysquad

    @thehistorysquad

    10 ай бұрын

    Apologies, we're looking into getting a new mic. 👍🏻

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