1. The Black Death(Bubonic Plague) England 1348 – 1350 (20 Slides) 1

2. Yersinia pestis bacteria-born disease • carried in blood of black rats • & fleas that lived off the rats • fleas forced to seek alternatives • including humans 2

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4. The Path of the Plague 4

5. came from Caffa • - a Crimean port on the Black Sea - thriving trade center forItalian merchants from Genoa • Tartars (Muslim Crimea inhabitants) • tens of thousands died from plague • blamed Christian Genoese 5

6. Reasons for Spread 6

7. sent army to attack Caffa • plague struck army, many died • catapults lobbed infected corpses • over walls • plague quickly spread • Genoese fled city & sailed to Italy • carrying rats, fleas, & Black Death 7

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9. traveled on trade routes & caravans • passing through … • Italy • France • England • Germany • Denmark • Sweden • Poland • Finland • eventually reaching Greenland 9

10. Efforts to Stop the Plague 10

11. Air born (smell from the dead and dying) • burned incense - juniper, laurel, pine, beech, lemon leaves, rosemary, camphor, & sulfur • handkerchiefs dipped in aromatic oils 11

12. Cure of Sound rang church bells fired cannons 12

13. Techniques that Worked • isolation (quarantine) - walled up houses infected - incoming ships on a separate island - Pope Clement VI living in Avignon sat between two large fires to breath pure air. • Note: heat actually destroys the plague bacillus 13

14. Effect on European Civilization 14

15. Population • Europeans • - over 38 milliondied • Chinese • - between 40 and 60 million • - cut population nearly in half 15 - Over 38 million Europeans died

16. Christian Church • lost prestige • spiritual authority • leadership over people 16

17. Economy • hit the hardest • artisan skills disappeared • poor laborers given more say • peasants & artisans • demanded higher wages • serfs sort liberation 17

18. poor people saw so much death • wanted to enjoy life • serfs left land • no crops planted • domesticated animals roamed freely • farming communities became rare 18

19. lack of sufficient law enforcement • personnel resulted in lawlessness • people called “Bechini” • - dressed in red robes • - wearing red masks • showing only their eyes • - pillaged homes, • murdering & raping people 19

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