The Black Death

1. The Black Death

2. The green areas indicate places that were not greatly affected by the plague in Europe in the mid-14th century. Reasons these places did not experience large outbreaks were: geographic isolation (i.e. the Pyrenees), low populations, resistant blood groups.

3. Discussion • What caused the Black Death, and why did it spread so quickly throughout Western Europe? • Describe the psychological impact of the Black Death. How did Europeans respond to the devastation caused by the epidemic? • What were the social and economic consequences of the Black Death? Which groups in medieval society benefited the most from the altered social and economic landscape? • What impact will the disease have on the Church? • What does the case of the Black Death suggest about the role disease may play in shaping history?

4. -Philip Daileader, history professor at the College of William and Mary, discussing the demographic implications of the Black Death on Europe. Quoted in 2007. “The trend of recent research is pointing to afigure more like 45% to 50% of the European population dying during a four-year period. There is a fair amount of geographic variation. In Mediterranean Europe and Italy, the South of France and Spain, where plague ran for about four years consecutively, it was probably closer to 70% to 75% of the population. In Germany and England . . . it was probably closer to 20%.”

5. Consequences of the Black Death • Shortage of cheap labor in western Europe (due to decreasing population) • Wage increases (until checked by legislation…i.e. Statute of Laborers and taille) • Widespread Anti-Semitism • Urban areas and artisans benefited • Power of the nobility declined • Cynicism toward Church officials • Morbid art

7. A Plague Doctor