1. Do-now:
Choose a recent natural disaster and explain how the public reacted and why.
How might people react to disasters that they could not understand or did not have a scientific explanation for?

2. The Black Death

3. In the early 1300s 35 Million Chinese died
A mysterious disease spread throughout the population

4. The disease was spread by fleas
The Fleas were spread by Rats

5. The disease spread west toward Europe
In the city of Cairo, Egypt 7,000 people died a day

6. By 1348 the plague reached Europe
Europeans could not stop the spread of the mysterious disease

7. Epidemic
Outbreak of a rapidly spreading disease

8. Some people turned to magic and witchcraft for cures
Magic & Witchcraft
Some people turned to magic and witchcraft for cures

9. Others turned to wild pleasures

10. Others believed it was God’s punishment

11. Some Christians blamed the Jews
Jews were slaughtered by the thousands

12. 1348 40 Million people are dead:
List some effects-

13. European economy declined
As more people died less people worked and prices soared (inflation).

14. Peasants attacked their nobles
Revolts
Peasants attacked their nobles

15. Church loses power
Many people lost faith in the church during this time
Why wasn’t the Church able to stop the plague or understand why it was happening

16. John Wycliffe Said the Bible was the source of all Christian truth
His followers began to translate the bible into the vernacular