ations together. Great national armies were formed to protect the citizens, laws were passed and courts were made to enforce them. In the year 1337 England and France began fighting the Hundred Years War. The ravages of the war caused a decline in the amount of food which could be supplied to the population, weakening the peoples health. Health and sanitation during the late Middle Ages were virtually nonexistent. Normal citizens would take a bath only two times a year because they didnt like the idea of immersing themselves in water. Human and animal Moseley 4waste was disposed into the drinking water. Most buildings and homes were infested with disease carrying rats and mice. The poor nutrition and lack of sanitation eventually led to the Black Plague. The Bubonic Plague struck almost halfway through the century and disappeared two years later. It left in its path total destruction. Some historians say it was so bad that the population had been cut in half. Whole families were killed, and those who survived were left to fend for themselves. The plague struck newborns and children the hardest leaving a large generation gap for years to come.Originally the plague was blamed on lepers and Jews because the people did not understand why this disease was spreading so fast. The rats had fleas, which were carrying the disease and since people were in such close quarters with rats they could not avoid being bitten by the fleas, thus becoming infected with the plague. The people of this time entered the 14th century with reasons to be optimistic. Life was getting better for all classes of society. The effect of the plague and the wars put a stop to much of the progress which was occurring and postponed further advances in society for many years....
