The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that struck Europe between 1347 and 1351. It is estimated to have killed around 25 million people in Europe, reducing the population by around one third. The plague originated in Asia and was brought to Europe via trade routes. It had devastating effects on population levels and society, and contributed to increased wages for laborers as well as religious and social unrest across the continent.

1. Chapter 10: Europe in the Middle
Ages: A.D. 1000-1500
The Black Death

2. Black Death..cont
• Black Death: Outbreak of
bubonic plague that struck
Europe from 1347 through
1351.
• It was the first cycle of European plague epidemics that
continued until the early 18th century
• The term Black Death is not used to describe the plague
until much later in history.

4. Black Death..cont
• The exact origin of where the Black Death originated from
is debatable, however most historians believe the
black death originated
somewhere in Asia
• The plague had spread west into the Middle East via trade
routes west from China
• It is believed that Genoese & Venetian traders brought it to
Europe from Egypt in 1347
• Or brought from the Black Sea port of Caffa

5. Black Death…cont
• Italy: The first Western
European country the Black
Death reached
• The Black Death was carried
by rodents, in particular the
fleas on rodents, and then
transmitted to humans

10. Black Death..cont
• Contemporary doctors and theologians
believed there were two
main causes
of the Black Death
• 1) Imbalance of the body’s
humors, fluids
• Emotional, dietary, or external factors like noxious orders
could result in sickness, death
• Individuals were to eat moderately & avoid anything that

11. Black Death..cont
• 2) God’s judgement on a sinful
humanity
• Flagellants: Term for those
who would ritually beat
themselves as penance for their
own & others’ sins
• These flagellants would hold processions through towns that
lasted as long as 33 days, each day representing one year in the life

14. Black Death..cont
• Overall, European population declined by
about 1/3, an estimated 25 million people
died between 1347 & 1352
• In many European cities population may
have declined by 50% or more
• Larger towns declined drastically, as their
workforces & merchant classes either died
or fled

20. Black Death..cont
• Another effect of the Black Death was the rise of intolerance towards
outsiders or non-Christians
• Jews were accused of deliberately
poisoning the water supply or air,
and therefore, many were
viciously attacked
• Persecutions only ended when the deaths from the plague began to
decline

23. Black Death..cont
• The Black Death had a profound influence on the art & music of the
time
• Many paintings were filled with images related to death, such as
skelatons
• Grim Reaper: Character who
came to symbolize the one who
brings death during the Black
Death

32. Economic Effect of the Black
Death
• Wealth concentrated in the
hands of survivors
• Wage increases, especially for
skilled artisans
• Profits for landlords &
merchants declined

33. Black Death..cont
• Governments were forced to adjust to the social disruption
caused by the plague
• Governments attempted to regulate the movement & price
of foods & wages
• Peasants’ Revolt of 1351:
Reaction to the attempt by
landlords to collect higher fees
from tenant farmers
• According to some, the Black Death helped bring the end