WH1: The Black Plague

Because of the chaos and the high mortality rate, what maxim did some people, convinced that death was near, chose to live by?

"Eat, Drink, and be Merry" (for tomorrow you may die)

What was Europe's nickname?

"The Calamitous Century"

What are some types of strange occurrences that happened that experts thought were plague-related?

- birds restless at night -frogs sitting huddled together -fruit becoming rotten and full of worms and falling from trees -the presence of unusual insects -large spiders -strangely colored gnats -ravens circling in pairs -mad dogs -black vapors rising from the earth

What were some consequences of the plague that were political/economic?

-people left the cities and fled to the country -deserted villages, hamlets fell into disrepair -with a shortage of labor, some workers charged high wages for their work -the plague spread west from China and other areas in the Eastern Hemisphere through eastern Europe, to western Europe and North Africa -Trade, business, agriculture, and other daily activities were crippled by the outbreak

What were some consequences of the plague that were physical?

-spread by contact: infected bloodstream, causing internal bleeding, strange black swellings the size of an egg -spread by respiratory infection: infected lungs -fever, cough, death within at most 3 days

What were some consequences of the plague that were social?

-widespread despair and fear -people died w/o burial rites or prayers -graveyards filled up-mass burial pits used -the death of 1/3-1/4 of the population in any given town or manor -families abandoned each other

List the 3 forms of the Black Death. Out of those 3, which had the highest mortality rate?

1) Bubonic (most common) 2) Pneumonic 3) Septicemic Septicemic affected the bloodstream and had a 100% fatality rate, usually within 24 hours

What are two theories as to why the plague ended (this variation of it) in Europe?

1) The black rat may have been replaced by the Norway rat 2) It may have become too cold for the oriental rat flea

Name 3 common "cures" people attempted at the time to ward off the disease, or to counteract its effects

1) They held pleasant smelling herbs and flowers up to their nose 2)Prayer and penance 3) They developed strange elixirs made up of an odd mix of ingredients

Why did faith in religion decrease as a result of the Black Death?

1)Because of the death of so may clergy and 2)because of the failure of prayer to prevent sickness and death

The time frame for the Black Death to hit Europe was ___ t0 ___

1347-1350

The most conservative estimate is the approximately ___% of Europe's population was killed off.

33%

How did the disease typically spread once it "landed" in Europe?

Along medieval trade routes...it particularly affected port cities

It is generally believed that the Black Death (this variation of it) actually began here, in the early 14th century:

Asia (continent), Mongolia (country)

What kind of rat was the host animal to the disease?

Black Rat

These two animals were involved in the spreading of the disease:________

Black rats and fleas (we now know Gerbils were probably the cause)

Another name for the Black Death was the ________

Bubonic Plague

What were 3 theories proposed that were the cause of the plague? What were 3 cures that were attempted?

Causes- God punished them because they were sinful, fleas from black rats, Jews poisoned the wells, and a conjunction of Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter on March 20, 1345 at 1pm. Cures- Large sounds, burning of incense, handkerchiefs dipped in aromatic oils, wearing of talismans (i.e. jade necklace), drinking elderberry juice, applying hot onions to buboes, having pigeons attack the buboes, and bloodletting (leeches would suck "bad blood" out of infected patient) -sitting between fires

List one way in which social distinctions sharpened as a result of the plague?

Clothing of the nobility became fancier, brighter

What was the Black Death's impact on European economy, Religion, and Construction?

European economy- job opportunity, inflation, shortage of products Religion- people abandoned it Construction- Building out of bricks instead of wood so that rats would be kept out more easily, roofs were improved

What economic and political system began to end as a result of the plague?

Feudalism

Name 2 common explanations given at the time for the cause of the plague

God's wrath for a sinful population & The planets had aligned in 1345 in a very particular way that released toxic/bad air (aka MIASMA-may be on quiz)

What economic condition resulted from the plague, in which the price of goods skyrockets?

Inflation

What is the scientific explanation for the Black Death?

It is believed that the cause of the plague was a conjunction of Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter, on March 20, 1345 at 1pm.

They were scapegoated for causing the plague, thought to poison wells:______

Jews

At this place on the Crimean Peninsula, Italian merchants first came into contact with the plague:________

Kaffa (sometimes spelled with a C)

Be able to describe the medieval doctor's style of dress, and why it made sense at the time

Long robe, "bird mask", and eye sockets that were replace with a red crystal lens (to avoid directly looking at the patient)

What was the possible ulterior motive of the massacre of Jews at Strasbourg?

Many had roles as moneylenders, and some lords had accumulated great debts to them, so, killing them would relieve themselves of their debt

In which direction did the plague travel, for the most part?

North

What term describes the effective measure of isolating those with the disease?

Quarantine

This island was the "entry point" for the disease in Europe:

Sicily (at the port of Messina)

What specific disease was mentioned in the Crash Course video other than the Black Death?

The Great Dying- 90% of Natives died..the Europeans were resistant which allowed Europe to dominate

Be able to describe the similarities between the fear and rumors surrounding the Black Death and AIDS in the 1980's when it first arrived in the US

There were several quotes you need to be familiar with (handout, "Black Death and AIDS) -Denial, Fear, and Repression -Both used a scapegoat. AIDS- Homosexuals and Black Death- Jews -Thought that violence would get rid of problems diseases caused

Describe the conditions of European cities (i.e. why would they be particularly vulnerable to the spreading of this disease?)

They were unsanitary and no means for sewage disposal, they were crowded, shunned cats, and often cohabited with the black rats (urban dwelling rats)

The technical name for the bacillus, named in the 19th century, is called:________

Yersinia Pestis

Be able to explain the rise of anti-Semitism that accompanied the Black Death and its connection to measures put in place at the Fourth Lateran Council (1215)

anti-Semitism- hostility or prejudice against Jews; the Fourth Lateran Council issued decrees stripping Jews of basic civil rights 1) Jews could not have Christian servants 2)Excluded from trades and craft guilds 3)Could not intermarry 4)Could not build new synagogues 5)Forced to wear yellow badges; -rumors of Jews poisoning wells caused more people to join

The hurling of diseased bodies at the Italian merchants could be considered an early form of this kind of warfare (in the most literal sense)

biological warfare

Devout Christians who went town to town whipping themselves to show penance for the sins of humanity were called:______

flagellants

What were economical, political, and social effects of the Black Death that were short term? What about long term?

short term- major population lost (approx. 1/3 of Europe's 80 million killed off in about 5 years), price of goods rose as trade became costlier (until end of 14th century), local economies disrupted, persecution of Jews long term-

Did rural or urban areas recover more quickly?

urban