2. The Basics The Little Ice age lasted about 500 years, beginning around 1300 CE and ended around 1850 CE The Little Ice age followed the “medieval warm period” in which the global climate was about 4-7°F warmer than today The warm period was prosperous; wine grapes were grown in England, Gothic Cathedrals erected, diseases had diminished The world was in a delicate balance Average age was only 35 years old and 50% of children never saw their first birthday Scientists don’t know an exact cause but have several theories and are trying to reconstruct what happened
3. Effects on History: The Bad Famines led to war, starvation, innovation and folk tales Many across France fled to Paris, demanding food from the government, only to be let down and begin the French Revolution Crops failed and millions died Families would kill their own children to save food for themselves (leading to the story of ‘Hansel & Gretel’) New ways of farming were eventually developed and new crops (i.e.. Potatoes) were utilized, although not for a few centuries
4. Effects on History: The Good The Stradivari Violin: this amazing instrument may have had some help from the little ice age The wood used in the making had grown during the coldest period during the little ice age, making for uniquely dense wood and special resin Beer & Hard Liquor: mostly in 14th century England and Northern Europe Grapes were killed so people began to use more grain crops for alcohol The mass exodus from Europe to North America brought these alcohols with Many of our founding fathers were producers of alcohol as well
5. Theories Theories on the cause: It was just part of a normal climate cycle Out put from the sun was lessened Powerful volcanic eruptions The oceanic conveyor belt was slowed due to melting ice, which drops the salinity of the ocean enough to disrupt the current Bubonic plague, or ‘black death,’ caused people to die leaving unused farmlands open for new tree growth, soaking up CO2 and cooling the climate Archives looked at: Sediment cores from the sea floor contain microorganisms that prefer different climates Ice cores date back 115, 000 years and show sulfur deposits, evidence of a volcanic eruption large enough to change the earth’s climate Tree rings Pollen and oak stomata
6. Sources History Channel’s “Little Ice Age” video BBC article: “Europe’s Chill Linked to Disease” by Kate Ravilions
