Life in The Middle Ages: The Black Death

The Black Death in Europe:  Introduction

It has been called by many names:  The Black Death, The Bubonic Plague, The Great Pestilence.  It is estimated to have killed upwards of one third of the population of Europe between 1348 and 1350.  It destroyed families and wiped out entire towns.  It also brought about great changes in Europe. 

The physicians who tended to the sick and dying inadvertently aided in the development of modern medicine.  Politicians and royals fell victim to the plague as well, leaving power vacuums that were often filled by those with different political viewpoints and alliances. The landscape itself changed. Fewer farmers worked the lands and fields fell fallow.  It was a time of great change.

So what brought this highly contagious disease to Europe in the first place and where did it come from?  While it appears to suddenly have disappeared in 1350, there were many more little plagues that followed.  There is still a great deal of medical mystery surrounding the illness that beset Europe in the fourteenth century. 

Before you begin exploring the cause of the Black Death and the great effects it had on fourteenth century Europe, think about what life was like at the time.  Feudalism was the way of life for most people.  The population was booming and large cities like London, Paris, and Rome were expanding rapidly � and without the modern day conveniences of hygienic plumbing and accessible healthcare.  How did these things relate to the occurrence of the Black Death?  

Watch the video below for a quick overview of life for the commoners during the period to get a sense of what the environment in Europe was like, and then begin your exploration on the Task page!

Excerpt from Life in Medieval Europe, from Classroom Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pypbyC548dw