How to tackle these questions You need to plan out your response to analyse similarities. When comparing events you should consider: Causes: why did the event happen? Development: how did the event develop? Consequences: events will have results

GREAT PLAGUE BLACK DEATH Cause – Why did the event happen? Actual cause – Bacteria found on rats and the fleas that feed on them. The pneumonic plague is when the infection spreads to a persons lungs Ideas about the cause at the time – Witchcraft, a punishment from God, miasma Actual cause - Bacteria found on rats and the fleas that feed on them. Potentially caused by the hot summer of 1665 Ideas about the cause at the time – God, cats and dogs, miasma GREAT PLAGUE BLACK DEATH Development – How did the event develop? On its victims mainly via buboes Flagellants whipped themselves to avoid the disease Quack doctors provided ridiculous remedies Church encouraged prayer Dirty conditions in medieval towns encouraged the disease to spread Malnutrition was a big issue due to bad harvests and diet and contributed to the high death rates Government killed the cats and dogs in London Watchmen locked and kept guard over infected houses Quarantine was common Government banned public gatherings Dirty conditions in towns encouraged the disease to spread Malnutrition was a big issue due to war and diet and contributed to the high death rates Fires in the street to purify the air Consequences – What were the results? Mass burials Mortality rate was 50% Almost 40% of England was wiped out by the disease Positive – Due to the high numbers of deaths, peasants could demand better pay and working conditions 7,000 people were dying each week 70,000 Londoners died The Great Fire of London is believed to have stopped the disease

Compare the Black Death in the fourteenth century and the Great Plague in the seventeenth century. In what ways were they similar? (8 marks) The plague appears to have started in the parish of St-Giles-in-the-Fields outside of London's walls in 1664. The hot summer seems to have caused it to become an epidemic. While 68,596 deaths were recorded in the city, the true number was probably over 100,000, and other parts of the country also suffered. It was raging in the city by July 1665, and reached a peak of 7,000 deaths a week by August, but then died out during the cold winter.