The Black Death
The Black Death was a plague pandemic that killed roughly a third of Europe's population in the fourteenth century.
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The Black Death was a plague pandemic that killed roughly a third of Europe's population in the fourteenth century.
- It spread along trade routes by fleas on rats
- Labour shortages raised wages
- Society and the Church were shaken
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is The Black Death?
Within History, which covers ancient civilisations, empires, revolutions, world wars and the making of the modern world, this topic explains The Black Death. History topics connect events, people and ideas across time, so each one here gives a clear summary and a way to test your understanding.
Check that you can explain The Black Death in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding The Black Death helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
The Black Death in detail
The Black Death, a plague that reached Europe in 1348, killed perhaps a third to half of the population. It was probably bubonic plague spread by fleas on black rats, along trade routes from Asia. Symptoms included swellings called buboes, fever and death within days.
Medieval people did not know the cause. They blamed bad air, sin, planets or minority groups, and tried cures such as herbs, bloodletting and prayer. As so many workers died, labour became scarce, so wages rose and serfdom weakened. The plague affected the economy, religion and society, and it returned many times.
How the interactive helps you understand The Black Death
Watch the population model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the population model responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of The Black Death.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain the causes and consequences of The Black Death in a well-structured paragraph.
- Compare The Black Death with another event to spot patterns of change and continuity.
- Build a timeline that shows when The Black Death happened and what came before and after.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing events without explaining why they happened.
- Treating one source as the whole story when you study The Black Death.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about The Black Death
What is The Black Death?
The Black Death was a plague pandemic that killed roughly a third of Europe's population in the fourteenth century.
What are the most important points about The Black Death?
The main points are: It spread along trade routes by fleas on rats; Labour shortages raised wages; Society and the Church were shaken.
Why is The Black Death useful?
Understanding The Black Death helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
How can I practise The Black Death?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to The Black Death?
Related topics in History include Medieval Africa: Mali and Songhai, The Renaissance, The Tudors.