The Black Death of 1348 Flashcards
When did the Black Death hit Britain?
1348
How was bubonic plague spread?
Fleas on black rats
How was pneumonic plague spread?
Air, contact with a victim’s breath through coughing or blood
Within how many days of showing initial symptoms could the Black Death kill victims?
2
Where did the Black Death begin?
Asía
What did the disease spread along to reach Western Europe?
Trade routes
Where did the Black Death reach in 1347?
Constantinople in Turkey
People believed miasma caused the Black Death, what was this?
Bad smells corrupting the air
Who was the Black Death believed to be a punishment from?
God
Why was God punishing people via the Black Death?
Not attending church, being sinful, wearing pointy shoes, having long hair and fancy clothes
The position of what were believed to have caused the Black Death?
Stars and planets
Who were believed to have poisoned wells, causing the Black Death?
Jews
What happened in China in 1347?
An earthquake that people believed had sent demons to spread the Black Death
What were believed to be out of balance, resulting in the Black Death?
Humours
What bacteria actually caused the Black Death?
Yersina Petis
Where did yersinia pestis grow?
Flees’ stomachs
How did the yersinia pestis spread?
Grew in the stomachs of flees, flees fed on rats blood, disease killed the rats, flees moved onto humans and passed on the disease
Why were the poor malnourished and therefore more vulnerable to infection?
Food shortages
Why did the Black Death spread so quickly?
Unhygienic habits, rats could breed
Animals dug up victims’ bodies
Quarantine not as effective on infected areas
Widespread ignorance of germs and causes of disease
Laws about cleanliness difficult to enforce
How did people try to avoid the Black Death through appeasing God?
Matching through the street praying by order of the king
Why did people avoid baths?
Opening pores could cause disease
What did people avoid?
Sex
Who did people move away from?
Victims
How did people become safe from miasma?
Smelling a posey of sweet smelling herbs
What did people bathe in to avoid the plague?
Urine
How many times a day did people bathe in urine?
3
How many times a day did people drink urine to avoid the plague?
1
Why did people ring church bells to avoid the plague?
Scare off evil spirits
How did people try to balance the humours?
Purging, vomiting and bloodletting
What did people attend to avoid the plague?
Church
What did people do to buboes in an attempt to cure the plague?
Pop them
What did people put on buboes to cure the plague?
Feathers plucked from a chicken’s anus
What did people drink to cure the plague?
Vinegar and mercury
How did people try to cure the plague via punishment?
Flagellation
Why did people believe blood letting would cure the plague?
Balance the humours and release evil spirits
What town built cemeteries away from homes?
Winchester
Why did some towns build cemeteries away from homes?
Some thought that the plague was coming from dead bodies
How did some towns like Gloucester try to prevent the plague spreading?
By stopping anyone outside the town entering but this did not succeed
What zones did towns try to set up? Were they successful?
Quarantine zones, no
Due to ships being quarantined, how many days did they have to wait before entering Britain?
40
% of the British population that died
30-45%
What was the population in 1400 in relation to 1300?
Half
How many villages were completely wiped out?
1000
% of Europe’s population that died
50%
How many people died in Britain between 1348 and 1350?
1.5 million
Why did the cost of buying land fall after the Black Death?
Lower population
What did the lower cost of land allow peasants to do?
Buy land
What did peasants ask for after the Black Death?
Higher wages
What was established in 1349 to stop peasants moving around in search of higher wages?
Ordinance of Labourers
When was the peasants’ revolt where they demanded higher wages?
1381
What weakened the feudal system?
The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
Why did the Black Death damage the Catholic Church?
Many experienced priests died and others had fled
New clergymen demanded higher wages
Why did food prices increase?
Plague created food shortages
What was the ruin of many landowners?
Drastic reduction in the amount of land under cultivation due to the deaths of many labourers
What did many landowners switch to? Why was this?
Sheep farming as it needed fewer workers
What led to better conditions and pay for workers?
Shortage of labour
What were farm workers less willing to do?
Work for the feudal landlord and be tied to the land
What immediately followed when wars stopped for a short time?
A sudden slump in trade
When did the Black Death subside?
1350
From when did further outbreaks occur at intervals?
The later half of the 14th century to the 18th century
How many Londoners were killed in 1603 due to plague?
38,000
When was the Great Plague?
1665
