The Black Death Lesson #1 What was the Black Death and why did it spread so easily in Britain the 14th century? In 1348 a disease arrived in Britain against which there was no defence and which the people had no real idea of its cause. By 1351 it had killed 1/3 of the people of Britain. In this lesson you will earn about the disease known as the Black Death and why it was so quickly spread around Britain between 1348 and 1351. Click the arrow to continue.

The Black Death Lesson #1 Here are FIFTEEN things you write down and learn about the Black Death. Almost ½ the population of Britain was killed. The plague was carried by fleas. The fleas lived on Black Rats How did the Black Rats get to England carrying the plague germ in the fleas? Where did the Plague first break out in the world? On which animal did the fleas live? Which type of people were killed by the Plague: rich or poor? How much of Britain’s population was killed by the Black Death? What creature carried the plague bacteria in its guts? How quickly did the Plague victim die if the infection spread to the lungs? Why did the Black Death spread quickly in the cities of Britain? Which type of people suffered most from the Plague? How did coughing spread the Black Death? How many people died each day in London when the Plague came in 1349? What signs of the plague appeared in the victims armpits and groin? How many days did it take for the Plague victims to die? Why did some whole villages die out even though not everyone got the Plague? What did some parents do if their children got the Plague? In which English city did 15 of the 52 town councillors die of the Plague? The Black Rats entered England on ships from Europe. The plague started in China and India. The plague killed both rich and poor people. Plague victims died within seven days Of getting the disease. Buboes or Lumps filled with black puss appeared in the armpits and groin. If the plague got on the victim’s lungs death came in three days. Bloody coughing occurred which spread the disease to anyone close to the victim. Tightly packed and filthy cities spread the disease quickly. The youngest, oldest and poorest suffered the most from plague. 15 of the 52 city councillors in Bristol were killed by the plague. The healthy abandoned the sick and whole villages died out. Parents Abandoned their children to die if they got the plague. 300 people a day died in London in 1349. Click the arrow to continue.

The Black Death Lesson #1 Why did the Plague spread so quickly in London in 1349? The streets of English towns in the 14th century were very unhealthy. This was one of the main causes of the spread of the plague in 1348. The filthy streets and tightly packed houses made perfect breeding grounds for the rats and fleas that carried the Black Death. Unfortunately people at the time did not know that fleas and rats were the carriers, so they did not think to clean up their streets and so stop the spread of the disease. On the next slide you will see a picture of London in the 14th century as drawn by a modern artist. On the right is a list of reasons why the plague would spread so easily. Watch the slide as it highlights each example. Click the arrow to continue.

Why would the Black Death spread so easily in 14th century London? When the Plague came to London in 1348 there were 100 000 people living in the city. Soon 300 were dying every day. List the reasons in your book why the disease spread so quickly and killed so many. Toilets over the River Thames. People fishing in the polluted river. Butchers working in the street. Food sold in markets on the filthy streets. Animals kept in pens on the streets. Toilet waste thrown out of windows. Open sewers flowing down the street to the Thames. A man urinating against the wall of a house. Crowded houses in the city. Animals pulling carts.

The Black Death Lesson #1 What should I have learnt? The Black Death came to England on ships in 1348. It was carried on fleas and Black Rats but people at the time did not know this. The Plague killed about 1/3 of all the people in Britain between 1348 and 1351. The symptoms of the plague were buboes (lumps) under the armpits, violent fever and coughing up blood. The plague spread quickly in the filthy cities of the time. Click on the arrow to return to the lesson.