When we think of disasters, of world-changing events, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Wars, perhaps, disasters, because these are the ones that are most often experienced. However, what about a much smaller system, which has the potential to quickly become ugly and which we breathe and pass through every day without seeing it; a little something just waiting for the right opportunity to attack. In many ways, the most dangerous and ruthless enemies may be closer than we think. In fact, they could be in your home, maybe on that pencil on the table. These potential enemies are bacteria. Throughout history, many epidemics have literally changed the world. Influenza, smallpox, and yellow fever are just a few examples, but there is one that has proven far more deadly and devastating than any other: the plague. Others might know it as The Great Mortality, The Plague, or the Pest (Barnard 4). This microscopic creature sparked a late medieval crisis that brought entire powers to their knees. This caused unrest in social and political systems and stifled and tested morals and religious principles (Gottifred The Black Death). It killed 50% of its victims and, in the end, 25 million people, a quarter of the European population, disappeared (Walker 1) in the space of twenty-one years, from 1331 to 1357. The plague was a devastating epidemic that did not last long. only killed millions of people, but also destroyed entire civilizations. There are three strains of plague: bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic (Snell the Black Death) and they are all considered a zoonotic disease, meaning they primarily affect animals (Altman 1). The plague was first discovered in 1849 by a student named Alexander Yersin. He discovered that everything... middle of paper ... was over, but small outbreaks continued to arise and survivors lived in constant fear of his return. In many ways, it can be unsettling to realize something. so small can hold so much power that a tiny creature “can reveal the fragility of human society.” With just enough stress, the most compact and steadfast societies can break apart (Barnard 4). The plague was horrible and left behind only shattered and shattered remains of another time. On a lighter level, it taught people. They realized the importance of proper sanitation and how it can slow the spread of disease. They also understood the importance of not taking things for granted and that the future is not guaranteed. The all-too-widespread Black Death is considered “the greatest biological and environmental event in history and one of the major turning points in Western civilization” (Gottifred The Black Death).