Chapter 15 Section 5 Study Guide Part I

A disease that spreads quickly and kills many people

Define: plague

The Black Death affected Europe's economy because by the early 1300's, more goods were being shipped across central Asia than ever before. This made it possible for the Black Death to spread rapidly, as caravans infested with rats carried it from city to city. It turned the economy upside down because trade declined and wages rose sharply because workers were few in demand. Due to the fact that so many people died there was less demand for food. As a result, food prices fell.

How did the Black Death affect Europe's economy? (3-4 sentences)

There was a large increase of trade across Asia during the 14th century. This increase allowed the Black Death to spread rapidly, as caravans infested with rats carried from city to city.

How did trade influence the spread of the Black Death? (1-2 sentences)

The Mongols

What group of people do historians believe are partially responsible for the Black Death? (name people)

The Black Death was a terrible plague. A plague is a disease that spreads quickly and kills many people.

What was the Black Death? (1-2 sentences)

The first European outbreak of the Black Death occurred in the city of Caffa in 1346. Caffa is in modern day Ukraine.

Where and when did the first outbreak of the Black Death appear in Europe? (1-2 sentences)

The first outbreak of the plague occurred in China in 1331.

Where and when did the first outbreak of the Black Death occur?

The Black Death probably began someone in the Gobi, a desert in central Asia.

Where did the Black Death most likely begin? (one sentence)