Module 10 black death Flashcards
Where did the Black Death likely originate?
Central or eastern Asia, most likely China or Mongolia
Most historians believe it emerged in the early 1330s.
What bacterium is suspected to have caused the Black Death?
Yersinia pestis
This bacterium can be transmitted person-to-person or through flea bites.
What is the bubonic plague?
The most common form of the Black Death characterized by fever, chills, and large buboes
Boils could reach the size of a golf ball or baseball.
What are the symptoms of the septicemic plague?
Intensified fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and dark blotches on the skin
This form has a nearly 100% mortality rate if untreated.
What happens during the pneumonic plague?
The bacteria enter the lungs, making the disease airborne and highly contagious
Coughing up blood spreads the infection to others.
What were the main symptoms of the bubonic plague?
Fever, chills, aching, and large buboes
The chance of death was about 50% by the end of the week.
How did the Black Death spread to Europe?
Through trade ships arriving from the Black Sea carrying infected rats
The first major entry point was the Sicilian port of Messina in 1347.
What misconception did people have about the cause of the Black Death?
Many believed it was God’s judgment or a sign of the apocalypse
This was due to the lack of understanding of how the disease spread.
What was one of the consequences of the Black Death on the population?
25 million dead, about a third of Europe’s population
It took almost 150 years for the population to recover to pre-plague levels.
What social effect did the Black Death have on peasants?
Increased economic value and ability to negotiate wages and rights
This resulted from the labor shortage due to high mortality rates.
What event marked the spread of the Black Death in 1346?
Mongolian armies besieging Kaffa were struck by the plague
They used biological warfare by launching dead bodies into the city.
True or False: The Black Death only affected the lower classes in society.
False
The plague affected every social and economic class.
Fill in the blank: The bubonic plague is characterized by painful sores and _______.
[boils]
What were the ‘pocket full of posies’ in the nursery rhyme associated with the Black Death?
Flowers or herbs to mask the stench of the disease
This reflects the practices of the time to cope with the plague.
What drastic action did frightened individuals take against the Jewish community during the Black Death?
Persecution and destruction of over 200 Jewish communities
This was fueled by unfounded rumors about Jews poisoning water supplies.
What did medieval civilians lack in understanding about the Black Death?
They did not understand how the disease spread
This led to widespread confusion and fear during the outbreak.
What was the impact of the Black Death on the Hundred Years’ War?
It forced France and England to declare a temporary truce
The plague interrupted military engagements.
