DBQ:

Document A

1. Annotate the map:

Highlight the source. Is it primary or secondary? Does it matter?
Highlight the Route of the Black Death and Possible Route.
Where was the source of the plague? Where did it start, according to this map?

2. How long did the disease take to travel? How do you think the speed of the plague might have made
people in Europe feel?

3. Think about how the Black Death spread. How did the disease travel from Sarai to Paris?

4. It is interesting that the Black Death did not spread to other parts of the world. What factors might have
prevented the plague from entering North Africa or the Americas?

Document B
1. Annotate the tables above.
How many people in Europe died? In the Middle East (do some math here!)? In total?
What percentage of regular people died? What percentage of priests & monks died?

2. Why do you think English monks in monasteries and English parish priests both had death rates higher
than the average?

3. Imagine if 1 out of every 3 people in North America died over several years. Describe three ways that
would impact the United States.
 Document C

1. Annotate these documents in the space around them.

Are they primary or secondary sources? Which is the Christain and the Muslim response?
Highlight words that show each author’s attitude towards the plague.
Summarize the excerpts in 3-5 words.

2. Who / what does de Mussis think is responsible for the plague? What does de Mussis mean when he
says Christains should “embrace acts of penance”?

3. Who / what does al-Manbiji think is responsible for the plague? What does al-Manbiji think Muslims
should do?

4. How do these two historical recounts help to answer the question, “How were Christian and Muslim
Responses to the Black Death Different?”
 Document D

1. Annotate the documents.

What is similar / different between Christain and Muslim beliefs regarding causes?
What is similar / different between Christain and Muslim beliefs regarding prevention?
Are there preventions that you think might have helped? Preventions that made it worse?

2. Some of the listed preventions sound ridiculous or even disgusting to us today. Why do you think
people at the time were willing to try them?

3. How do this information help to answer the question, “How were Christian and Muslim Responses to
the Black Death Different?”
 Document E

1. Annotate this document.

Identify the source - is it primary or secondary?
Is this document about Christains or Muslims?
Highlight adjectives that describe the people. Underline what the priests did.
Circle the words that describe the laborers / skilled workmen.

2. Why do you think people turned to acts of depravity? Could it be because of their religious beliefs?

3. Why do you think some people were filled with the “spirit of rebellion”? Who do you think they were
rebelling against? Why?

4. How do you think the Roman Catholic Church was impacted during the plague?

5. How does this information help to answer the question, “How were Christian and Muslim Responses to
the Black Death Different?”
 Document F

1 And at that time, when death did rage
In countries near and far,
Yes, throughout all of Christainity,
Of this it seemed quite clear,
5 The Jews were guilty of this crime
As it was said all around,
By poisoning wells at this same time,
As on the rack when laid.
And death in this dreaded form
To Strasbourg now drew closer,
15 And of its people killed in a swarm
Were young, old, rich and poor,
Particularly in ‘49,
When sixteen thousand died.
The citizens were much inclined
20 To other measures tried.

Some (as were stated) to have done, Three Masters did resist
10 Themselves confessed it true. All measures of this kind.
And therefore without mercy shown The Jews they wanted to assist,
They were burnt in many a number. And thus they spoke their mind.

25 The people to the mayor trooped,

“The Masters must now yield!”
And so on the Jews they swooped,
To seek revenge for all the evils.

Historical note: The Town Council of Strasbourg tried

“The Burning of the Jews”c. 1351
to protect the Jews. The Town Council was then thrown
out of office and replaced with a new Anti-Semetic
Council. 900 Jews were murdered and burned, and the
other 900 Jews were banned from the city. Anti-Semetic
riots called pogroms occurred all throughout Europe.
By 1350, 60 of 130 Jewish communities were destroyed,
and over 350 massacres had happened.

1. Annotate the poem.

In line 5, what crime are the Jews believed to be guilty of?
Under what circumstances did some Jews confess? (Line 8)
Where is Strasbourg? Is this poem about Christains or Muslims?
How many people died in 1369? What types of people were they? (Lines 16-18)

2. What were pogroms and why do you think they occurred?

3. How does this information help to answer the question, “How were Christian and Muslim Responses to
the Black Death Different?”