CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: E - The worst period of the Black Death in Europe was 1348 to 1350, when approximately 35 million people died. That accounted for roughly one-fourth to one-third of the European population. Towns and major cities were hit the hardest for two reasons. First, the people lived much closer together, enabling the spread of the disease. Secondly, the disease was carried by the fleas on the rats that arrived in Europe on Italian merchant ships from the Silk Road. Rats carrying the infected fleas traveled through Europe by way of merchant vessels, which only docked in cities.