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HASS8 Black Death: Impacts of the plague on Medieval Europe: What was the Black Death?

SOURCE: Darlington, R. (2012). History alive 8 for the Australian curriculum. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

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Important Facts about the Black Death

  • Key Dates: This terrible plague started in Europe in 1328 and lasted until 1351 although there were outbreaks for the next sixty years
  • Why was the disease called the Black Death?: The disease was called the Black Death because one of the symptoms produced a blackening of the skin around the swellings. or buboes. The buboes were red at first, but later turned a dark purple, or black. When a victim's blood was let the blood that exuded was black, thick and vile smelling with a greenish scum mixed in it. 
  • How the disease was spread: The Black Death was spread by fleas that were carried by rats or other small rodents
  • The spread of the Black Death followed all of the Trade Routes to every country
  • The Black Death of the Middle Ages was believed to have originated in the Gobi Desert
  • Key People: Nearly one third of the population of died - about 200 million people in Europe
  • The 1328 outbreak in China caused the population to drop from 125 million to 90 million in just fifty years
  • 7500 victims of the disease were dying every day
  • England: The Black Death raged from 1348-1350
  • Why the Black Death was important to the history of England: The population drop resulted in a higher value being placed on labour - the Peasants Revolt followed in 1381. Farming changed and the wool industry boomed. People became disillusioned with the church and its power and influence went into decline. This ultimately resulted in the English reformation.

Videos

The past, present and future of the Black Death [Duration: 4:12 mins]

Sharon N. DeWitte investigates the causes and effects of the black death and explains how knowing this information can help us prepare for any future outbreaks of the disease.

SOURCE: DeWitte, Sharon N. (2014), The past, present and future of the Black Death, posted on YouTube, URL: https://youtu.be/ySClB6-OH-Q