The Black Death Causes: What spread it? Where did it spread to? Where was it the most dangerous? Why? SECTION 5: A TIME OF CRISIS

THE BUBONIC PLAGUE Fleas Carried “Yersinia Pestis” Bacteria Rats Brown rats infested all homes and the streets of cities Cities Poor sanitation Larger population = more people living closer

Gobi Desert China 1320s Mongol hordes brought the bacteria to cities Spread across Asia via trade routes Caffa, Black Sea Genoese sailors fleeing Mongols carried disease on their ship Sicily, Europe First account in Messina, Sicily Ship was quarantined but the fleas and rats escaped and began to spread the Plague Within two months, half the population of Messina was dead HOW DOES IT SPREAD TO EUROPE?

Why was the Plague so deadly? LIFE DURING THE BLACK DEATH

 Bring Out Your Dead!  Most people died within three days of the tumors appearing  Death rates were so high that the disposal of bodies became an issue  In Italy a group known as the becchini hired themselves out to carry away the dead.  In some families, sick members were left in the homes to die while the rest fled elsewhere  Where could they flee where they may have a chance at surviving? DAILY LIFE

 Medicine  People still believed that disease was spread by poisons vapors that corrupted the air  People walked around holding their noses or carrying around flowers  The Faculty of the University of Paris argued that the plague was the result of the conjunction of the planets, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter MEDICINE

Flagellants Who were they? What did they do to themselves? What effect did this have on the spread of the plague? Why did they do what they did? SUPERSTITIONS

Europeans looked for someone, or something to blame for this horrific plague, such as? Witches Women were accused of being witches especially surrounding the death of so many people They were midwives and also cared for the sick SUPERSTITIONS & SCAPEGOATING

Europeans looked for someone, or The Jews were the ones who suffered the most Why? Massacres of Jews took place in Germany Groups were burned as witches RISE OF ANTI-SEMITISM

Social Estimates are around 25 million out of 44 million perished (approximately 1/3 to ½ Europe’s population) Effects on the Church? Art Reflected death in the 1300s and 1400s EFFECTS OF THE PLAGUE

 Political  Feudal system was weakened by the shortage of labor  Peasant revolts occurred throughout Europe  The most famous one was the English Peasant Revolt in 1381  Economic  The shortage of workers created a demand for higher wages and prices EFFECTS OF THE PLAGUE

THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR Causes What were the causes? English Victories Use of the longbow – many victories and took a toll on French morale

THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR Who was Joan of Arc and what role did she play in this war? French Victories The French troops with the use of canons were able to remove the English from all of France except Calais

THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR - EFFECTS  France  Expanding power and national unity  England  Rulers had to ask parliament for money to fight war  This helped parliament win the “power of the purse”  Medieval World  Long bow and cannon became common weapons for soldiers and undermined knights  Castles could not survive canons  New monarchs of Europe needed armies not vassals to fight wars  By 1400’s population starts to grow  Manufacturing too  Italian cities start to flourish with trade  Stage is set for Renaissance, Reformation and Age of Exploration