Black DEATH

Question 1

Nature of black death

Answer 1

Debate over disease vector

Rats and human flea spread disease

Pneumonic, bubobic

Question 2

How does Tanzania confiem disease vector?

Answer 2

2012 study found that flea is best vector as it doesnt vomit out blood

Question 3

How many did plague kill?

Answer 3

40-50% of european popn

Question 4

Causes: famine

How did famine worsen?

Answer 4

• weakened immune systems

- increased severity of plague

Question 5

Causes: famine

What has andrew appleby put forth?

Answer 5

• fluctuations in disease run independant to econ conditions (famine)
• study of london bills of mortality and series of bread prices establish lack of connection between disease and dearth

Question 6

Causes: famine

Counter to appleby?

Answer 6

• dearth isnt famine
• appleby’s approach isnt sophisticated given new studies to prove otherwise
• nutritional status of individuals is hardly throughly recorded

Question 7

Causes: warefare and trade

Origin of plague

Answer 7

• travelled across asia along trade routes and silk road
• mongols said to have during seige of Caffa 1347 chucked corpses over –> genoese fled to sicily and spread disease
• eruopes trade routes meant that it quickly spread

Question 8

Causes: warefare and trade

War in england

Answer 8

Vs. Scots

They all get plague

Question 9

Effects: social and cultural

What does J.M.W bean argue?

Answer 9

• plague didnt affect population
• India 19th and 20th century outbreaks of plague and cholera –> more babies
• says following epidemic there are fewer dependants –> standards of living increase –> birth rates increase

Question 10

Effects: social and cultural

Impact ob religious society

Answer 10

• Canterbury Cathedral Priory asserts 1349-1517, 1/3 deaths among monks due to plague

Question 11

Effects: social and cultural

Impact on medicine- negative

Answer 11

• medicine in disarray
• less trust
• chroniclers e.f Henry Knighton c.1398 speak of King Tharsis who see pope to get baptized fearing plague is wrath of god

Question 12

Effects: social and cultural

Medicine positive

Answer 12

• post 1360 chroniclers more positive –> frequent claims of miracle cures
• 1383 pope’s doctor sees decline in plague deaths and claims human effort can reduce

Question 13

Effects: social and cultural

The religious people

Answer 13

• flagellants movement

Question 14

Effects: politics

How did wages impact polititcs?

Answer 14

• vast deaths, greater bargaining power of workers, higher wages
• 1351 Statutes of labourers freeze wages
• inspires peasents revolt 1381

Question 15

Effects: politics

Summarise 1381 revolt

Answer 15

• Wat tyler leads angry farmers
• revolters promised reforms
• richard I meets them
• he murders tyler
• its business as usual

Question 16

Effects: politics

Jews

Answer 16

• Samuel K. Cohn –> burning of jews –> were accused of posioning
• antisemtic planned rage?
• scapegoats? Narbonne france april 1348 beggars were also burned

Question 17

Effects: politics

Black death stopped movements?

Answer 17

• tuscany workers movement stopped.

Question 18

Effect: economy

Effect on english overseas trade

Answer 18

• E.M carus-wilson –> 5 years following black death exports of woolen cloth never reached 2000 cloths –> 1350-1: grain prices increase

Question 19

Effect: economy

Vast death improving econ power of peasants

Answer 19

• greater wages, due to more demand
• could afford better living conditions
• renrs decreased
• john saltmarsh suggests declining rents indicate declining popn.
• 1300-1460: wages of artisans rose

Question 20

Effects: standards of living

Quality of buildings- pro argument

Answer 20

• post 1400 mure durable housing

- fewer people so timber could be abdunant

Question 21

Effect: economy

Quality of buildings- counter

Answer 21

• houses neglected often due to dispute with landlord
• curved timber in place west midlands 1313-25
• 1200’s surname carpenter

Question 22

Effect: economy

Did all peasants gain

Answer 22

• villeins vs. Freemen
• 1/3 of peasant population gained livelihood from wages
• wage of skilled labourers increaaed 66% 1340-1390 (phelps brown)