Key Events that led from the Ancient World to the Modern World

Introduction
The Medieval Period (Middle Ages) in Europe was 1000 years from the fall of the Western Roman
Empire and began in 476. Medieval Europe was a time of kings, knights and noblemen and consisted of
castles, churches and cathedrals. However, most people during the Medieval period were poor and had
to work long hours for the rich. Brutal punishments were given to those who disobeyed the law. The
Middle Ages was a time of severe instability since the security from the Roman Empire was gone and
Europe was divided.

The Middle Ages was a time of violence and one of the most powerful European tribes that were
involved in battles was known as The Vikings. The Vikings were originally from Scandinavia and had
migrated to their large boats in Europe because of the harsh environment in Scandinavia. They were
known to be ruthless raiders and killers and were also skilled farmers, navigators and tradesmen.

In 650, a new religion named Islam had emerged in the Middle East and had spread across Africa,
Southern Spain, Persia and parts of India. The Western and Islamic worlds had co-existed and traded
with each other peacefully until the Crusades. The Crusades were known as one of the violent conflicts
between the Islamic and Western worlds and had started in 1096. The Crusades were a series of
Invasions over 200 years by Christian armies to take back Jerusalem and the Holy Lands of the Bible from
Muslims.

In the year 1215, King John was the ruler. King John was one of the worst kings in history as he had
attempted many cruel actions against the people he ruled. King John was later captured and was forced
to negotiate. The results of the negotiation were written on a piece of parchment which is known as the
Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is known as a powerful symbol of liberty

Overview Timeline
476 -> Medieval Period Began
800 -> King Charlemagne
1066 -> Norman Invasion
1086 -> The Domesday Book was created
1096 -> The First Crusade
1099 -> Capture of Jerusalem
1187 -> Muslims controlled Jerusalem
1215 -> The Magna Carta
1315 -> Great Famine of Europe
1337 -> Hundred Years War
1347 -> The Black Death
1450 -> The first printing press was invented in Germany

Key Terms

Term Definition

Feudalism The system in which people were given land

and protection by people of higher rank and
had worked and fought for them in return

Crusades A series of invasions due to conflict between

the Islamic world and the Christian world
about the possession of Jerusalem and the
Holy Lands of the Bible

Christianity A religion based on belief in God and the

teachings of Jesus Christ

Islam A religion that believes in monotheism and

follows the all-knowing God, Allah.

The Enlightenment The Enlightenment Period was a time when

logic and science were starting to be valued
more than beliefs and religion which were
previously more important. This period also
brought new ideas to human rights and
freedom.

The Renaissance The change in Europe from the Middle Ages

to the Modern age began in the 14th century
and ended around the 17th century.
Renaissance was a bridge between modern
and ancient culture which is why it is a
significant event. The Renaissance was a time
of increased trade between countries,
exploration and scientific discoveries.

The Scientific Revolution A series of scientific advancements took place

in Europe around the 1500s and 1600s.
Examples of the theories discovered back
then were the Earth revolving around the
Sun, how gravity was a constant and the
composition of matter.
Why did new ideas spread at the end of the Middle Ages?
A key reason for the emergence of new ideas at the end of the Middle Ages was the invention of the
printing press. The printing press was invented by Johann Gutenberg in the 1430s using Chinese
woodblock printing. Books before were very expensive which meant the majority of the people never
owned a book, but after the invention of the printing press, books were faster and easier to make
therefore making them less expensive. Books have allowed people to write down their opinions,
thoughts and ideas and share them with the world to be executed.

Why was the Bible the first book printed?

The Bible was the first book to be printed using Gutenberg’s printing press because the Bible is a very
prominent book that contains scriptures of Judaism and Christianity and has been the most available,
dependable and intellectual source in the West.

Feudalism

In Medieval Europe, society was organised into a hierarchy based on the ownership of land. This is
known as the Feudal System. This system was introduced by King Charlemagne as a system to control
areas of land. Feudalism was implemented to create law and order and ensure resources were used in
the best possible way. This system provided protection but was also strict and controlling over people.

The Monarch
● King/Queen
● Ruler of the Feudal society
 ● Owned most of the land and gave land to the tenants in chief who paid rent to the monarch in
the form of being loyal to them and providing support in the military

The Tenant in Chief

● Lord/Baron, Bishops and Church Officials
● The Tenant-in-Chief was provided land by the Monarch
● In return for land, they provided knights to serve 40 days a year in the monarch's army, money
advice and prayers

The Sub-Tenant
● Usually, but not always a knight
● Received land from the tenant-in-chief
● In return, they had fought in wars for the king or prayed for success in battles
● Role: guard and protect the land

Peasants/Serfs
● Allocated spare land from the sub-tenants
● They worked on the knight's or lord’s land as well as their own
● Paid taxes in the form of crops
● The lowest member was a serf (slave) and these people were not free unlike other peasants

-The Feudal System had only started to break down after the devastation of the Black Death. It took
centuries for the ordinary people in the country to gain more power.

Life in Medieval Europe

TOPC Analysis
This source is a secondary source that is a written type. The source is made by Lucy Davidson, an
Editorial Assistant for History Hit on 10 February 2022 from a webpage titled ‘What Was Life Like for
Medieval Peasants?’ The purpose of this source is to inform today's generation about the struggles of
the Medieval era and ask if people today would be able to survive as a Medieval peasants. The targeted
audience is modern society since the source is in the form of a webpage and was made recently. The
information in this source describes the life of a medieval peasant. This included your health at risk with
deadly diseases spreading around, working day and night for your lords by farming, having to watch your
steps as the consequences were high and having very little time for entertainment or rest.

Geography of Medieval Europe

● Europe sits in the northern hemisphere extending out into the Atlantic Ocean
● Shares a border with Asia
● The Mediterranean Sea is in the south of Europe separating the African and European continents
● Lands in the northern region of Europe reside in the Scandinavian Peninsula (Finland, Sweden
and Norway)
● The major bodies of water in central northern Europe are the Baltic and North Seas and the
English Channel
● The Northern European Plain spans from the northern coast and northeastern lands of Europe
all the way southeast to the Black Sea
● The Rhine River runs through the northern European Plain and is one of the major European
rivers
● The Rhine River originates in the Swiss Alps and flows in a northerly direction through modern
Germany and the Netherlands
● The Carpathian Mountains and the Balkan Mountains separate the northern European Plain
from the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean Sea and the area now known as Turkey
 ● The Danube River runs inland from the Black Sea to the centre of Europe and for about 1770
miles it skirts north of the Alps and the Italian peninsula
● The Apennine Mountains span the majority of the Italian peninsula
● The Pyrenees is a mountain range located in southern Europe that separates mainland Europe
from the Iberian Peninsula where modern-day Spain and Portugal reside

-Life in Medieval Europe was very different depending on which group of the Feudal society you
belonged to

Life as a Member of the Upper-Class Life as a Member of the Lower Class

-Had power and control over Medieval Europe
-Lived on income from estates
-Solved disputes between people, fought battles,
participated in politics, took part in sports and
expeditions
-Women had few opportunities for authority and
-Male peasants were expected to provide for
their families and fulfil their feudal duties
-They worked in farms and as soldiers
-Female peasants harvested crops, took care of
the children, and other household chores
-Lower-class children were often put to work at
 decision-making since the Catholic Church taught an early age to perform basic tasks
that women were lower in rank than men and the -Girls learned household chores and
most important task was to be obedient responsibilities
daughters and wives and good mothers –Charlemagne ordered the Catholic Church to
-A woman would take charge of the household if provide free education to any boy within his
her husband was off serving for King. In this Empire who was able and willing to learn
situation, she would take care of caring for the -Many people grew up illiterate
sick, running estates and organizing the defence
-Upper-class children received an education that
helped them to work in the future.
-A lord's son would be educated in a monastery
school or within another household he would
learn manners, Latin, astronomy, philosophy,
math and battle skills
-A lord's daughter might be educated in a convent
school or at home by a tutor. She would learn
how to take care of a household and might be
trained in singing, music, conversation etiquette
and maybe reading and writing

Medieval Food
-Eating in the Middle Ages would first consist of breakfast which would usually be bread and ale, then
people would stop work midday and have the main meal of the day because by the time you come in the
evening, it would get dark and then at the end of the day you would eat bread and some cheese or ham

● Bread: Bread was a distinguisher of status. It was known that the browner your bread is the
poorer you are, this is because it took more effort to produce white flour.
● Ale/Beer: People drank ale during meals. A misconception about the Middle Ages is that people
didn't drink water. This is untrue, people who had a good source of water drank it. Meanwhile,
people who didn’t have a good source of water had to drink beer. People would start drinking ale
at the age of 5.
● Salmon: Salmon in the Middle Ages was considered peasant food because it was freely available
in rivers.
● Bacon: People often reared a pig behind their house and the pig would have been slaughtered
at the beginning of winter. The bacon was then cooked and smoked.

How People would gather food to eat

● People killed their animals and preserved them by smoking, pickling or salting them
 ● To make bread, people would go to the miller to have their grain ground into flour and then paid
to bake their bread in ovens which were owned by the lords
● People used spoons, knives or their fingers to eat food. Plates were not used and instead thick
slices of bread called trenchers were utilised to place food. Trenchers soaked up all the juices
from the food and they either ate it at the end or gave it to the poor as a meal
● Wealthy people and nobles had a wide variety of food and had even hosted banquets for special
occasions such as marriages and coronations in which all the food was laid out

What the rich ate and drank What the poor ate and drank

Meat from domestic animals (cows, pigs, and
sheep) and game animals (deer and wild
boars)
Fish, stews, pies and tarts, soups, jellies and
custard
Bread, cheese and eggs
Fresh fruit and vegetables
Wine and ale
Mead (fermented honey and water drink)
Grainy bread, stews, milk and cheese
Vegetables and fruits when available
Porridge made from oats or barley
Nuts and berries from the forest
Fish, if they lived near a river or sea
Meat, often preserved
Water and ale

Medieval Medicine
-People from the Middle Ages had very little medical knowledge and believed that sickness was
a punishment from God
-Some of the widespread diseases across Medieval Europe include diseases like smallpox,
bubonic plague and pneumonic plague
-How Diseases were diagnosed
● Feeling the pulse
● Looking at the person's tongue
● Checking their urine
-Every village would have an herbalist who would make medicinal plants using herbs from the
garden
-Medicinal knowledge was purely based on superstition and folklore. As a result of this, people
thought specific herbs would only work if they were picked on special days like Christmas Eve
-Some cures had worked. For example, juice from the poppy flower was used to deaden pain.
-Cures that didn’t work
● Lungwort was used to treat chest problems because its leaves were shaped like lungs
● Lemon balm was thought to be a magic elixir that could cure just about anything
-For surgeries, travelling barbers acted as surgeons and would constantly perform different
kinds of operations
-These operations were often conducted outside so that the light was better and the villagers
could watch
-People who performed the surgery directly cut into people's skin which caused them immense
pain and people often died due to the most basic diseases
-The average life expectancy was just 30

THE STARS AND PLANETS

● Medieval astrologers believe that the movements of stars and planets influenced
numerous things on Earth, including medical procedures
● Doctors often carried around star charts that they used to check before the diagnosis of
a patient
● By the end of the 1500s, physicians needed to calculate the positions of the moon
before carrying out complicated medical actions such as surgeries or bleeding

EXAMINING URINE
● One of the main ways a doctor would diagnose an illness was by examining the urine of
the patient
● Physicians and doctors often looked at the hues of the urine which led to its diagnosis

WOUNDS, RUPTURES AND LESIONS

● Wounds, ruptures and lesions were treated by surgeons
● The surgeons often set broken bones in plaster and sealed wounds using egg whites or
wine to stop them from getting infected

MEDICINE AND THE CHURCH + OCCULT HEALING

● During the Middle Ages, medicine generally operated through the Christian Church.
● Religious orders often ran hospitals that cared for the elderly and the ill
● When professional medicine didn't work, people would turn to the saints and God and
visit churches and shrines in the hope of a miraculous cure.
● The sick people also have turned to magical beliefs (occult)
● Many medical practitioners used occult knowledge to heal the ill either by natural
means such as using herbs) or using demonic magic which uses devilish forces
Role of the Church

● The most important person was the Pope who was in charge of everyone and had more power
than any king or queen. The Pope made the final decision on the teachings of the Church and got
to decide the friends and enemies of the Church.
● The clergy were the church officials in the Roman Catholic Church
● Pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, monks and nuns were all clergy
● A priest would run a group of followers called a parish. Priests were often men and were the
ones who had face-to-face interaction with the community
● A bishop would run a group of followers called the diocese which consisted of several parishes.
● An archbishop would control an archdiocese
● Each member of the clergy had their duties and responsibilities for the followers they ran
● Meanwhile, monks and nuns had often performed practical services to the church. This included
assisting the poor and nursing the sick

Power and Influence of the Church

● In 1054, Christianity had formally split into Catholicism and by the 1100s, Catholicism was the
most powerful religion in Europe and had influenced law-making and enforcement and
government decisions
● People had taken the Pope’s approval on every decision and were willing to fight other nations if
the Pope had ordered them to do so
 ● To gain God's blessings, many nobles left their land, property and money to the church and due
to that the Church became richer than most kings or queens
● A simple belief was that people who followed God’s teaching would go to heaven and those who
did not would go to hell
● People respected and honoured god by going to mass on Sundays and making it a day of rest and
devotion towards God
● People had looked up to the church and had immense respect for it. People supported the
church leaders by paying the tithe (a tax of 10% of the crops they grew

Cathedral Building
● Church leaders, builders and architects aimed to glorify God by creating massive cathedrals that
were large and had stunning decoration
● Cathedrals were very tall (at least 100 m) and had high spires as well
● The innovation of Cathedrals included many technological achievements especially considering
these were built without using cranes, concrete, steel or electricity.
● Cathedrals were the largest buildings in the cities and towns and were located in the centre
● Designers often organised expensive decor for them with glass windows and stone sculptures to
deliver messages of Christianity

Pope Gregory I
-Pope Gregory was born into a wealthy noble family in Rome studied law and worked in different areas
of the government
-At the age of 33, he took the position of the prefect of Rome and in 574, he gave up his wealth to
become a monk
-Over the next 15 years, meditation, writing and prayer were all Gregory focused on this time.
-He became the Pope’s main advisor in 586
-The Pope later died because of the plague and then the church officials and the People of Rome all
elected Gregory to take the place of the Pope
-4 years later, Gregory was officially Pope on 3 September 590
-Contributions he had made to Europe
● Sent bishops to places in Europe to spread strengthen and maintain the Churches power
● Got the Church to take on responsibilities such as obtaining food and ensured regular help for
the poor
● When the Lombards invaded, he employed soldiers to fight them and negotiated a peace
settlement to end their siege of Rome
-Pope Gregory refused to let any other bishop claim or use the power meant for the Pope.
-Pope Gregory changed the Church. He replaced corrupt officials with fair and honest monks.
- He demanded priests to be celibate (not have sex)
-He used the wealth of the Church to maintain and organise the land that the Church owned
-His actions had helped increase the Church's influence
Medieval Castles
-Castles were fortified homes that were safe from attack
-The 2 purposes of a Medieval castle was that it was a fortification and the home of a lord
-Feudal lords ruled their lands from their castles
-The greatest castle builders were the Normans and the remains of their stone castles symbolised their
importance in England, France and Italy
-In times of no violence or war, a small group of soldiers were needed to guard a castle
-Craftsmen, labourers and merchants lives depended on the noble family that lived in a castle. This is
because, markets would be held within the castle walls where craftsmen, labourers and merchants
would sell their goods. This made castles a social centre for surrounding areas and the people of the
town
-In times of great violence and war, castles became a key area for military activity.
-Nobles called their supporters who were required to supply armour, weapons and horses
-Knights were required to fight in these wars and ask others to fight under their rules

Motte and Bailey Castles

-One of the earliest castles
-They were wooden fortresses on top of a mound of earth known as
a motte
-The open area below was called the bailey. It was where barns,
workshops and stables were located
-Extra features of the motte and bailey castles included a ditch
surrounded by the castle that was sometimes filled with water.
-An earth bank & a wooden fence with a secure gate were added for
extra security and protection
-Motte and bailey castles didn’t last long since the wood used to
build the castles burnt easily and did not last longer than a few
years.

Early Stone Castles

-Stone walls (also known as curtain walls) and a stone keep (a
strong, central building) were features of early stone castles
-The stone walls and stone keep replaced the timber palisade
and fortress of a motte and bailey castle
-The stone keep had provided rooms for the nobleman and his
family to live in
-The stone keep was the most secure part of the castle
-The stone keeps built by the Normans were four-sided and the design had evolved
-Castle designers had replaced the traditional square towers (turrels) with round ones that were stronger
and had prevented attackers
Concentric Castles
-Consisted of two curtain walls that had provided an extra
barrier against attack
-The curtain wall closest to the centre was higher allowing the
guards to see over the outer wall
-The only entrances were the main entrance and gatehouse
and both places were heavily fortified
-The high protection in concentric castles allows the
inhabitants to live in more comfortable buildings within the
security of the walls.

Castle Sieges
-Since castles had lots of protection, and security and were built to be defended, attacking castles wasn’t
an easy task for the enemies
-An attacking army often conducted a siege on a castle
- A siege is when the enemy forces surround the castle while cutting off essential supplies such as food
and water to starve the inhabitants out
-When the enemy’s forces approached a castle and a siege seemed likely to happen, servants and
villagers were asked to make food that lasted long for the defenders
-Depending on the mood of the attackers, people would have been able to leave safely or might have
been slaughtered.
-Sieges would go on for months and even years
-There was no guarantee an attacker would win. The arrival of a backup force for the defenders or the
outbreak of a disease in the attacker's land could mean victory for the defenders.

Features of Castles Used for Defence

Siege Towers: These were built for the crossbowers and armed men in a better position to shoot from in
war. The towers were coated in wet animal skin to prevent them from fire
Trebuchets: a machine used in holding large stones or other missiles over castle walls. A trebuchet was
used to throw these items over castle walls while simultaneously trying to kill enemies during a siege
Moat: A moat was a wide ditch surrounding a castle. A moat would often be filled with water to prevent
attackers from having easy access to the castle
Hoardings: timber structures extending out from the upper walls of a castle. These protected the castle
archers. Missiles and boiling water could be dropped through the holes in the wooden floor onto the
enemy.
Arrow Slits: a narrow vertical slit in a wall primarily used for shooting arrows. These arrow slits were
wider on the inside and narrow from the outside that gave the castle archers a wide area to shoot
arrows but preventing the entry of arrows except the extremely narrow ones
Ways to Attack a castle
-Fire the trebuchet
-Taunt your enemy by starting a siege
-Dig under the walls

Ways to Defend a Castle

-Strengthen the walls by adding extra layers of timber
-In case a siege begins, stock up on essentials
-Keep up morale

Knights
-Knights were prominent members of Medieval society and were considered upper-class
-They were the feared warriors of battles and fights
-Knights were known to be the best dressed, well-mannered and the members of the upper class
-Becoming a knight was not easy
-Knights were generally born into an upper-class family and were required to purchase their weapons,
armour, horses etc.
-Knights were trained early in childhood
-Knights had to follow the Code of Chivalry, be well dressed and be able to recite poetry and songs

The Code of Chivalry

-Knights were always expected to be brave and chivalrous members of the society
-The Code of Chivalry was a moral system that stated all knights should protect others who cannot
protect themselves and always remain chivalrous and courageous.
-The Song of Roland is a 4000-line poem that describes the battles fought by knights of King
Charlemagne and documents that are considered the code of chivalry.

Training to become a knight

Step 1: Page
Training to be a knight began at the age of 7-10 when a boy from an upper-class (aristocratic) family was
chosen to become a page. A page is learning the basic actions of a knight such as training, looking after
horses, hunting and using ‘mock’ weapons
Step 2: Squire
At the age of 14, a page turns into a squire. A squire would be trained to use real weapons and start his
education in the study of chivalry. Squires assisted real knights in battle, cleaned armour and looked
after the knight's horses.
Step 3: Knight
When a successful squire turns 18-21, they become a knight. A dubbing ceremony is held in the church
in which they wear a white tunic to represent purity black or brown stockings to represent the Earth and
a scarlet red clock to symbolise the blood he would spill for his lords and the church. A knight would then
be given his sword and tap it on each shoulder. He would also get a banner, horse and shield. After the
ceremony, a grand feast would be held.

Tournaments and Jousting

-Knights practised their skills by competing in tournaments
-Tournaments involved either mock battles or jousting
● Mock Battles: when the knights would have to capture each other for ransom
● Jousting: They galloped at full speed at each other intending to knock down the opposite person
off of their horse
-These tournaments were a form of entertainment to the Medieval villages
-These tournaments were often very dangerous and could result in injuries and even death

Medieval Religion
-For over 1000 years, the Romans controlled one of the most largest and powerful empires. It spread
across Western Europe and the Middle East
-Then in 476, Rome fell and the Empire was therefore ended
-The fall of Rome was mainly due to the overexpansion of the Empire, corruption and invasion by
Germanic Tribes

Spread of Christianity
● Jesus Christ was a Jewish teacher and prophet who lived in the area now known as Israel and
Palestine
● Jesus Christ and his 12 Apostles had founded Christianity in the first century
● Christianity spread through the Roman Empire through the teachings of the 12 Apostles
● Christians were also victimised because of their beliefs and their refusal to worship the Emporer.
This ended in 313 when Emperor Constantine declared Christians should not be victimised
● Christians were divided between those who believed in Catholicism (centred in Rome) and those
who believed in the Orthodox Church (centred in Constantinople)
● Christians believe that God is made up of the Trinity of God the Father, Jesus Christ and God the
Holy Spirit.

Spread of Islam
● Islam was founded by Prophet Mohammed who was born in 570 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
● In c.622 Mohammed became a religious leader because he believed that the angel Gabriel (the
guardian angel of Israel) was bringing him God's messages to spread to others
● Mohammed taught people to believe in one god, Allah, and to follow his teachings and the 5
pillars of Islamic religion
● The Five Pillars of Islam Religion
 Shahadah: the basic belief of Islam that was ‘ there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his
prophet’
Salat: Pray 5 times a day, facing towards Mecca
Zakdt: Share a part of your income with the poor and needy
Sawm: Fast during the month of Ramadan (mainly during daylight hours)
Hajj: Visit the ‘House of Prayer’ at Mecca at least once in your lifetime
● Muslims believe that God cannot be divided
● Muslims saw Jesus as the second-last prophet and they saw Mohammed as the last prophet to
receive God's messages
● Muslims spread the religion of Islam through war and peaceful means. It became the main
religion in Saudi Arabia
● In the 17th and 18th centuries, Muslim armies gained control of large areas of land in Africa and
Spain. The Muslim scholars had therefore brought knowledge of Islam beyond Arabia into
southern Europe, Africa and Asia.
● Muslims and non-Muslims had generally lived together peacefully and the Muslim governments
had tolerated people who followed different religions
● Muslims also had contact with Christians through trade

Jerusalem
-The city of Jerusalem was important to Muslims, Christians and Jews
-Each religion had a different connection with Jerusalem
● Muslims thought of it as the place where Mohammed went to heaven
● Jews thought of it as the place was the spiritual centre for the Jewish faith and where King
Solomon built the first Jewish Temple
● Christians thought of it as the place where Jesus Christ lived, preached, died and where he went
to heaven. Christians often went to Jerusalem as a way of asking for forgiveness for their sins

Siege Warfare

Ways to Attack a castle Ways to Defend a Castle

Find an entrance from the back of the castle Shooting arrows

Shoot arrows in the castles Pouring down boiling oil
Use catapults Dropping a razor-sharp portcullis
Cause an outbreak or disease Extra protection with guards

Item used in A Siege When it was Invented How it was used

 Battering Ram 9th Century BC A large wooden beam with a
head of iron used to beat down
the walls of a castle

Catapult 400 BCE A machine used to throw heavy

objects or shoot arrows with
great force at long distances.

Siege tower 9th Century BC Tall towers used to fit many

people inside during a siege. It
provided archers and
crossbowmen a higher and
better position to shoot from

Trebuchet 1400 AD A specific version of the catapult

uses a weight that balances out
another weight to create the
force to fling an object from the
strap at the end of the pole. It
was used to throw heavy stones
against walls and kill enemies at
the same time

Introduction to the Black Death

Key Terminology of the Black Death

Terms Definition

Bubonic plague (black plague) The most common type of plague is caused by
the bite of an infected flea and the bacteria
Yersinia pestis

Black Death The bubonic plague pandemic that occurred from

1346 to 1353

Epidemic A widespread occurrence of infectious disease

during a period

Lymphatic System A group of organs, vessels and tissues that protect

you from infection. The black plague enters as a
bit from a flea travels through the lymphatic
system and replicates itself

Palsy A term for paralysis and was a side effect of the

 Black Plague

Infestation A large number of insects or animals that can

cause disease

Pneumonic Plague A lung infection caused by the bacteria Yersinia

pestis

Yersinia pestis A bacteria that causes plague

-Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium ‘Yersinia pestis’ and had hit China, India and
Europe in the 1340s CE
-The plague killed 75 million to 200 million people
-It was difficult for historians to calculate the exact number of deaths as there weren’t any records
-The plague mainly affects insects and rodents and is passed on to humans
-Three major plague pandemics have occurred in human history
● Plague of Justinian
● The Black Plague
● Third Pandemic
-The three main causes of the spread of the plague
● Increased international trade: trade routes connected communities and built a strong economic
network. However, the movement of goods and items also caused the movement of germs. This
reason caused the first plague pandemic (The Plague of Justinian)
● Rising urban population: The growing economies through trade also promoted a rise in urban
population, which resulted in crowded neighbourhoods and the collection of waste that caused
unsanitary living conditions. This caused more contact and thus more germs to spread out in the
communities. This was the main cause of the second pandemic (The Black Death)
● Lack of medical knowledge: People back then had very little medical knowledge and fewer
resources to treat illnesses. The cause of the plague or any other disease always remained
unknown to the people back then. This lack of knowledge drove the spread of disease as people
didn't know how to take care of it effectively

-Scientists who discovered the bacteria and causes behind the outbreaks were Kitasato Shibasaburo and
Alexandre Yersin
-These scientists helped developments in microbiology, medicine, sanitation and urban planning
-The plague made major developments in science and medical knowledge
-The other names for the Black Death included
● Great Pestilence
● Great Mortality
● Great Plague
Cause of the Plague
-The black plague bacterium was Yersinia pestis
-Fleas that carried this bacteria spread their infections by biting onto black rats
-When fleas no longer had enough rats to feed on, they turned to humans
-Symptoms of the Black Death
● Large, painful, itchy blue-black tumours called buboes in the groin and armpits
● Pus and horrible smells coming from buboes
● Coughing up blood
● Fever
● Nausea and vomiting
-Most victims of the plague died within one to eight days of the appearance of symptoms

Treatments of the Black Plague

-Doctors could not cure the plague due to the lack of medical knowledge and not knowing the main
cause of it. They often used treatments for other illnesses and none of them worked effectively
● Doctors believed that diseases resulted from bad smells. They prescribed posies of herbs or
pleasant-smelling crushed flowers for the patient to sniff through a nosebag
● Some other doctors advised their patients to inhale the smells of human feces while thinking
that one bad smell would cancel out the effect of another.
● A popular treatment for the plague was leeches. Doctors attached leeches to key veins of the
body (chosen through astrology) to draw out the ‘bad blood’
● Similar to the purpose of leeches, doctors also cut into the buboes to remove bad blood and
covered the cuts with ointment

Plague Doctors
-Some cities had hired special plague doctors to cure the rich and poor from the plague and to keep a
record of all the people who died from the plague
-Normal doctors often just covered their noses with clothes soaked in vinegar in the hope of not catching
the plague through the patient. Despite that, many doctors had died before their patients
-A plague doctor used different kinds of protection
● They used a cane to examine the patient so that they couldn't touch them
● They wore a covering made from a heavy waxed fabric
● Eye holes were made from glass
● They wore a beak filled with pleasant-smelling substances
Responses to the Plague
Religious Responses to the Black Death
-People had different beliefs on why the Black Plague occurred and lots of it was related to religion
● Jews believed the fifth book of the Torah which says God will deliver plague to those who do not
follow the order.
● Christian medieval books show how the plague was a sign of God’s return and second coming to
Earth
● Muslim leaders taught that the plague should be accepted as Allah’s way

Flagellants + Self-flagellation
● In Europe, groups of religious followers would flagellate themselves with whips
● The flagellants were attempting to ask for forgiveness for their sins which they thought was the
reason for the Black Death.
● Generally, monasteries (buildings occupied by a community of monks) hosted these groups and
had grown in number as they travelled.
● Flagellants wore tunics with a red cross on the back and front with a section cut out where the
whip was hung and had hoods across their heads
● This clothing created a visual image of blood and sacrifice
● The whips consisted of a stick with 3 knotted cords tied to it and small irn pieces to symbolise
the cross of Jesus Christ
● The whip caused the most severe injuries during public self-whipping processions.
● Flagellants would whip themselves until blood ran down their whole body
● However, the church found the flagellant movement threatening to the clergy and it was
denounced in 1349.

Persecution
● During the time of the plague, people resorted to blaming those who were accused of the
pandemic or those who didn’t seem affected by it.
● Jews from France, Spain and Germany were persecuted because they were accused of causing
the Black Death. Over 900 Jews were burnt during the Black Death
● The other Jews were often isolated in their communities and practised cleansing and hygienic
practices as historians claimed it prevented the spread of the plague.

Impact on monasteries
● A high death rate among the monks and priests due to their involvement in treating and caring
for the sick
● This caused the monasteries to allow young boys to become monks and younger priests were
given charge of parishes
● The monasteries had lost many of their experienced people affected their revenue
Quarantine
● Some authorities tried to quarantine citizens to prevent the plague
● For example, from 1348 onwards, ships approaching Venice had to spend 40 days on another
island before coming to the city
● Another way was to block off all the plague-infected areas in the city.
● An example of this was in Milan where houses were walled up if someone was infected and that
resulted in a lower death toll
Escape
● Many individuals had tried to flee plague-infected areas. For example, people in Turkey in 1348
had managed to flee to the city of Antioch but had managed to bring the plague with them.
● Places with high death rates were Gaza, Egypt where over 10,000 people died due to the plague
in 1348 and in Baghdad, Iraq 500,000 people were affected within 3 months in 1349

Scapegoats
● People in the 14th century believed in witches and witchcraft and viewed it as evil
● They blamed many people being accused of witchcraft for the plague

Short-Term Impacts of the Black Death

-A short-term impact of the Black Death is the mortality rates of people as 75 million to 200 million
people died
-Countries affected the most were mainly Europe, Africa and Asia
-Cities in Europe such as Florence (Italy) and Paris (France) were majorly affected as more than half of
the population had died in each city
-In Asia nearly 30% of China’s population was dead and 40% of the Northern African population was
affected
-30% of the Middle East was affected as well

Thornton Abbey: Mass Grave

-Thornton Abbey was a mass grave in Lincolnshire, England that held a mass grave of 48 children and
adults who were victims of the bubonic plague
-Since the Black Plague was a major pandemic, it made it impossible to host funerals and rites for
everyone because the religious leaders wouldn’t perform the burial rites because of the fear of infection
-This is why mass graves were common
-To ensure that these people were victims of the plague, teeth samples were extracted from the tooth
pulp of the remains
-A Tau Cross charm was found at the mass grave and was believed to have offered spiritual protection
from the Black Death
Long-Term Impacts of the Black Death
Labour Shortages
● During the Black Death, there was a 30-40% population decline due to the deaths. This meant
food sources and employment opportunities increased for those who survived
● The survivors of the plague had benefited as they inherited and claimed family belongings
● However, there were fewer people for agricultural and pre-industrial work, crafts and trades.
This led to labourers demanding higher wages
● The world's population was majorly affected and took over 200 years to recover

Peasant Uprisings
● A law was designed in England in 1351 to prohibit requesting and offering the increase in
workers' and peasants' wages fuelled anger among the peasants.
● The Statute of Labourers 1351 was a law created by the English parliament in response to the
labour shortage caused by the Black Death.
● The law was created to keep the Feudal System intact and stop workers from moving to new
areas to find work
● By restriction relocating to seek better wages, the law increased the anger of the peasants and
they refused to pay higher taxes led to punishment and imprisonment
● The imprisonment of the peasants led to the Peasant Revolt in 1381. Groups of peasants
marched through London and attacked various buildings
● This movement undermined the already weakened system of feudalism and marked the start of
a major social, economic and political change
● This change eventually led to the industrialisation of Europe and the rise of workers rights and
principles of fairness

Religion
● The church’s power to save people was undermined by the Black Death
● People felt the loss of family and loved ones and had moved away from some religious and
faith-based practices
● People started to question the Christian faith
● The Christian and Islamic religions were both weakened by the death toll of the plague and many
survivors developed beliefs based on the present rather than the future
● Therefore, people began to question their beliefs and rulers

Health and Hygiene

● People had started to take health and hygiene more seriously after the Black Death
● Systems of hygiene and health were improved by the 15th century since quarantine was proven
to be the most successful way of controlling the spread of the plague and became a common
practice
● Public sanitation was also improved
 ● There were more cases of the black plague in the 16th century but it was never as widespread as
the 14th-century Black Death

Empires
● Population loss resulted in the decline of strong and conquering empires
● This allowed the rise of new empires such as the Portuguese

INTERPRETATIONS OF THE IMPACTS

● Historians through the ages suggested that the plague brought a social impact to the world
despite the multiple deaths
● Bio-archaeological studies suggest that the plague killed more women than men which indicates
the hardship of women as due to their social position, they received less nourishment
● Records also show higher death rates in towns and cities and lesser in rural areas. Although
there is a debate over this topic. Some historians suggest that rural infections were naturally
lower due to the lower population. Although other historians point out that records of death
rates were more documented in cities and towns which meant we don’t know exactly how much
difference there was in the death rates between the city and country.