The Black Death, 1348: Case Study (Edexcel GCSE History)

The Black Death - Timeline & Summary

What was the Black Death?

• The Black Death was a new plague that originated in the Far East

  • It came to Europe via Sicily in 1347

• The name bubonic plague comes from the main symptom of buboes 

  • Buboes were pus-filled swellings which developed in the hot areas of the body such as the armpits

• At the peak of the epidemic roughly 200 people in London were buried every day

Ideas about Causes of the Black Death

Supernatural Causes

• Many people believed the Black Death was a sign of God abandoning humans due to their sins

• Christians believe in the idea of a Judgement Day

  • This is when Jesus would destroy heaven and Earth. He would then raise the dead and judge how morally good the humans had been 

• From a Medieval perspective, it is clear to see how the Black Death could be seen as Judgement Day 

  • People had no scientific knowledge of the actual cause

• In 1345, there was an unusual positioning of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn which people believed was a sign of bad things to come

• In Europe, many people believed that Jewish people caused the Black Death

  • In England the Jewish population had been exiled in the 13th century

  • The Jewish population could not be blamed for the Black Death in England

Natural Causes

• People believed that breathing in impure air corrupted the body’s humours

• The miasma was thought to originate from the fumes of volcanoes and earthquakes located in other countries

• This bad air also came from rubbish on the streets, swamps and dead bodies

What were the Symptoms of the Black Death?

Illustration showing the symptoms of the Black Death

• Usually, it took three to five days for victims to die

  • The Black Death affected a patient's lungs meaning that they struggled to breathe

    • Some patients suffocated on their own blood

• Treatments from apothecaries or physicians could also result in death

Treatments of the Black Death

Supernatural Treatments

• People believed that God sent the Black Death as a punishment. The Church advised that everyone should:

  • Confess their sins

  • Pray for forgiveness

• Ordinary people felt helpless to treat their symptoms

  • They believed it was God’s judgement about whether they lived or died

  • They were too scared to challenge this by seeking treatment

Natural Treatments

• Physicians tried bleeding and purging but this did not work

  • Often victims died quicker

• Strong-smelling herbs like aloe were recommended to clean the bad air as well as burning a fire and boiling vinegar

• As theriaca worked on multiple illnesses, it was often prescribed for the Black Death

• Some physicians lanced buboes

  • This was much more effective than other methods because it removed the infection and encouraged healing

• Apothecaries sold herbal remedies but most did not work

Preventing the Black Death

Supernatural Prevention

• Priests advised that people should:

  • Pray to God

  • Fast

  • Go on a pilgrimage

  • Self-flagellate (whipping yourself) to show God how sorry they were

    • People that did this are called flagellants

Natural Prevention

• Many people tried natural prevention to try and avoid catching the Black Death

• National prevention included:

  • Moving to cleaner air in the countryside to avoid miasma

  • Carrying flowers or herbs and holding them under their noses to ward off miasma

  • Avoiding bathing

    • It was believed that water could open the pores, allowing the bad air into the body

  • Joyful things like listening to cheerful music

Government Action

• New quarantine laws were introduced to prevent people from moving too much

  • People new to the area had to stay away for 40 days

  • Gloucester attempted to close their town off but people ignored this

• Local governments stopped cleaning the streets

  • They believed that the bad smell would drive away the miasma causing the plague

• The Government considered banning preaching and religious ceremonies to stop the spread of the plague

  • The Church’s power was too immense to allow this to happen

• The rich and the clergy continued as normal

• They were more powerful than the local governments and could ignore their rules

  • King Edward III, the monarch at the time of the Black Death, did not enforce any laws to protect his citizens