The Great Plague 1665 Flashcards
When was the Great Plague?
1665
Where did the Great Plague occur?
It was centred in London
Which section of society was blamed for the spread of the Plague?
Poor people
Why were poorer members of society more at risk from the Great Plague?
Because they lived in poor quality overcrowded housing. This made them more exposed to rats, fleas and spreading the disease between people.
What factor was significant in stopping the Great Plague that wasn?t present during the Black Death?
Government: Unlike in the Middle Ages the 17thC saw the rise of an organised central government that implemented Public Health measures.
What measures were introduced by the Government in order to stop the Plague from Spreading?
Infected people were locked in their houses, the poor were forbidden to leave London, People were ordered to clean the streats outside of their houses
Why did preventing the poor from leaving London have a positive effect nationally?
Because it meant that the Plague was contained to London and wasn?t able to spread around the country.
Why did locking infected people and their families in their houses stop the plague from spreading?
Because they were unable to spread the disease by coming into contact with other people. They would either recover from the disease or die before they could infect the wider population.
Why was closing down public meeting places like taverns effective?
Because it prevented people from gathering in large groups, this meant that the plague couldn?t spread quickly among a large group of people.
What led to the plague almost completely dying out at the end of 1665?
A extremely cold winter led to freezing temperatures which killed off the fleas that spread the disease.
What event in 1666 helped to prevent any further outbreaks of the Plague?
The Great Fire of London
How did the Great Fire of London (1666) help to stop the Plague from occuring again?
By destroying the poor quality housing that the rats and fleas thrived in. Also by killing most of the rats and fleas that were inhabiting London.
How did the rebuilding of London make it harder for diseases to spread in the future?
Christopher Wrenn designed the new buildings in London to be more spaced out which made it harder for diseases to spread quickly.
What is the Bubonic Plague?
When a person gets the plague after being bitten by a flea. This leads to swellings and Buboes to appear as the areas that have been bitten. It killed between 50-60% of those bitten.
What is the Pneumonic Plague?
When a victim of the Plague has the infection reach their lungs they can spread it via coughing and sneezing. The victim then breathes in the infected particles which quickly enter their bloodstream. This form of the Plague is almost always fatal killing between 95-100% of those infected this way.
