The Black Death

Question 1

what years were the black death in England

Answer 1

1348 - 49

Question 2

what were the 5 reasons people thought the Black Death by

Answer 2

• Religion: God sent plague as a punishment for people’s sins
• Astrology: the position of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn was unusual at this time
• Miasma: bad air / smells caused by decaying rubbish
• Volcanoes: poisonous gases from European volcanoes and earthquakes carried in the air
• Outsiders: strangers or witches had caused the disease

Question 3

give 3 religious prevention methods:

Answer 3

• Praying + fasting: show God they were sorry by punishing themselves
• self-flagellation - large groups of flagellants wandered streets of London, chanting + whipping themselves
• pilgrimage + make offerings to God

Question 4

give a logical prevention method give, and by whom was it given, did it work?

Answer 4

• escaping the plague
• Guy de Chauliac - physician to the Pope
• did not work

Question 5

what government action was instilled in attempt to prevent the spread of disease

Answer 5

• New quarantine laws: people new to an area had to stay away from everybody else for 40 days - ensure they were not carrying the disease
• Authorities started to quarantine houses where plague had broken out
• considered banning preaching + religious processions to stop large crowds

Question 6

did the government fully succeed in implementing laws

Answer 6

NO - had little power at this time –> rich people moved around freely + Church ran as normal

Question 7

symptoms of the black death

Answer 7

• swelling of the lymph glands into large lumps filled with pus
• fever and chills
• headache
• vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain

Question 8

how much of the population was killed

Answer 8

1/3