The Black Death

A horrible history!
 Introduction

• From around 1348 until 1353, a plague, known as

the Black Death, started to spread throughout
Europe.

• The Black Death was also called:

• The Great Plague
• The Great Mortality
• The Bubonic Plague (London, England)
 How did it get to Europe?
• The disease originated in Asia and was transmitted to
humans by fleas that live on rats.

• The rats entered Europe on trade ships that traveled

between Europe and Asia.
 But, why?

• At the time, people did not understand where the

Black Death came from or how it spread.

• Many people blamed God or certain communities,

such as Jewish people, beggars and lepers.

• Between 30-50% of the European population died

during this time, reducing it from 73 to 45 million
people.
SYMPTOMS
 Symptoms – Day One
BUBOES
• A boil that grows in your
armpit.
 Symptoms – Day Two
FEVER
• Your temperature will rise
causing you to have a
terrible fever.

• You will vomit and spit

blood.
 Symptoms – Day Three
BLACK SPOTS
• Black spots will appear,
caused by bleeding under
the skin.
 Symptoms – Day Four
TERRIBLE PAINS
• Terrible pains will occur as
the disease attacks the
central nervous system.
 Symptoms – Day Five
THE BUBOES
BURST
• The buboes burst, oozing a
stinking liquid of black and
yellow puss.
 Symptoms – Day Six
DEATH
• Your time is up!

• When people died, they

were buried in wooden
caskets that were marked
with a red cross to show the
had died from the plague.

• However, as more people

began to die, their bodies
were thrown into mass
burial pits.
CAUSES
 Cause One

• God’s punishment for sins such as gambling,

swearing, money-lending, and fighting.
 Cause Two

• Fleas passing the disease from rats to humans.

 Cause Three

• Dirty towns with lots of rubbish everywhere.

 ACTIVITY

Place the three causes in order from the most likely to least
likely to have caused the Plague.

The causes:
• Dirty towns with lots of rubbish everywhere.
• God’s punishment for sins such as gambling, swearing,
money-lending, and fighting.
• Fleas passing the disease from rats to humans.
 ANSWER

MOST LIKELY

1. Fleas passing the disease from rats to humans.

2. Dirty towns with lots of rubbish everywhere.

3. God’s punishment for sins such as gambling,

swearing, money-lending, and fighting.

LEAST LIKELY
Cures and Prevention
Plague Doctors
• Specialists

• The costumes were designed to

protect them from the disease.
 Cure One
• Slicing open your boils
and burning it with a hot
red poker.
 Cure Two

• Shaving a live chicken’s bottom and attaching it to

your boils.
 Prevention Method One

• Ringing church bells to pass on bad air.

 Prevention Method Two

• Cleaning the streets.

 ACTIVITY

Place the four methods of cure and prevention in order from most
likely to help to least likely.

Cures/ Prevention Methods:

• Slicing open your boils and burning it with a hot red poker.

• Cleaning the streets.

• Shaving a live chicken’s bottom and attaching it to your boils.

• Ringing church bells to pass on bad air.

 ANSWER

MOST LIKELY

1. Cleaning the streets.

2. Slicing open your boils and burning it with a hot red
poker.
3. Shaving a live chicken’s bottom and attaching it to your
boils.
4. Ringing church bells to pass on bad air.
LEAST LIKELY
 TRUE OR FALSE
Answer the following five questions to test your knowledge.
 1. True or False

The Black Death was most prominent in the years 1914

to 1918.
 2. True or False

The Black Death is also referred to as the ‘the Great

Plague’ and the ‘Great Immortality’.
 3. True or False

It’s believed that the Black Death originated in Central

Europe and was caused by harmful bacteria that were
brought to Europe via the fleas living on black rats.
 4. True or False

The most common symptom of the Black Death was

the appearance of buboes (infected swellings/ boils) on
the body, in particular on the neck, armpits and groin.
 5. True or False

Alongside buboes, people suffering from the Black

Death also showed symptoms of fever, rashes, vomiting
and blackened skin.
 ANSWERS

1. False

2. False

3. False

4. True

5. True
 An interesting fact…

• “Ring a Ring o’ Roses” is a nursery rhyme that

many native English speakers are taught as children.

• It is thought to have originated from the Great

Plague.
 Let’s look at the lyrics…
A metaphor for the Posies were
rash the appeared thought to help
on the skin. protect people
from the disease.

Ring-a-ring o’ roses

A pocket full of posies

A-tishoo! A-tishoo!

We all fall down

We all die.
The sound of a
cough
 Conclusion

• From around 1348 until 1353, a plague, known as

the Black Death, started to spread throughout
Europe.

• The disease originated in Asia and was transmitted

to humans by fleas that live on rats.

• Between 30-50% of the European population died

during this time, reducing it from 73 to 45 million
people.