Reponses to the outbreaks of plague in early modern Britain Flashcards
(12 cards)
why did people continue to live in fear of the plague
there were many serious outbreaks all throughout 1500-1667, the most serious being the Great Plague of 1665
why was the plague so terrifying
because it was so frequent, the symptoms were terrible, so many people died and no one knew that caused it
what did people think caused the plague
people believed that it was God’s punishment for sin, the miasma theory was still accepted but scientists began to think that close contact with an infected person may be a cause of the disease spreading
what did the national laws of 1518 do and how effective were they
Isolated plague victims in their own houses and identify them (straw hung outside their house, anyone leaving had to carry a white stick), isolate people in pesthouses outside the city walls
These were of limited effectiveness as they were not enforced everywhere
what did the national laws of 1578 do and how effective were they
Plague orders: seventeen orders including recording the spread of the disease, financial support for victims, burning of clothes and bedding of victims
Anyone living in the house of an infected person was quarantined for 6 weeks
Special prayers were sent to ask for God’s forgiveness
Effective in reducing the spread however criticised by many for isolating healthy with sick
what did the national laws of 1604 and how effective were they
Plague Act increased financial help for families of sick people
City and town watchmen could use harsh punishments to enforce the policy of isolation (could be hung)
Reduced the spread out of fear but still did not know that it was caused by flees and rats
what did Cambridge do to prevent the spread of disease
only allowed strangers into the city if they had a certificate of health
why did people go to church in response to the plague
nearly everyone believed in God so people prayed that God would take away the plague
why did people run away of stay in response
only the rich could afford to leave the infected town, most had to stay and deal with the disease as best they could
explanation of people trying to find a cure
many claimed they had invented a cure, plague doctors used sweet-smelling posies to fight against the miasma, smoking tobacco became more popular too
how did people avoid sick people
it was a sensible option to avoid those who were contaminated, sometimes foreign immigrants were blamed
why did people stick together
people didn’t abandon their families but rather stayed together and prayed that they would survive
