Name:______Period:______
Black Death Document Analysis
Learning Goals:
- Analyze how the Black Plague spread, where it came from, and whom if affected.
- Identify how the Black Plague changed how Europeans viewed religion, Jews and death.
- Compare and Contrast Muslim and Christian reactions to the Black Plague.
- You and two other people will be assigned a document(s) to analyze.
- I will model the first one for you.
- After you have finished analyzing the document, you will answer the questions then decide why the document is important.
- Prepare to present your findings to the class. While others are presenting, you will be answering the questions on your own answer sheet.
- You will turn in your completed answer guide for credit.
The Black Death: How Different Were the Christian and Muslim Responses?
Document A & B: How did the Black Death travel from Sarai (modern day Volgograd) to Paris?
Where were the earliest sights of the plague?
What were the latest sights of the plague?
What was the difference in years between the two?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document C: According to the charts, what were the death rates of the plague in Europe as a whole? In England? In Egypt? In Syria?
What might have explained this high rate?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document D:
How are the Agnolo di Tura and al-Maqrizi documents similar?
What emotion and tone is used?
What reactions are described?
What are your reactions?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document E:
According to both de Mussis and al-Manbiji, who was delivering the plague to the people?
According to both authors, why was the plague being delivered?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document F:
What are the similarities of the Christian and Muslim non-religious explanations of the Black Death? Name three.
What are the similaritiesof the Christian and Muslim ideas about prevention of the Black Death?
Name three.
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document G & H:
What was a Bier?
Why had people stopped mourning the dead?
According to Document H, how many people in Paris died per day?
What do these two documents tell you about the Black Death?
Document K:
According to William Dene, describe the behavior during the plague:
Name two things for each.
English people? English priests?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document M:
Where did the flagellants come from?
What did the flagellants look like?
What did they do to their bodies? Name two things.
Look at the “Note” on the bottom. Who were flagellants and what did they do?
How many people in Europe was a flagellant and what percentage?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document N: In the poem, Jews are accused of doing what?
According to the Note, were actions against Jews common?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document O:
Did Pope Clement VI believe the Jews to be responsible for spreading the plague?
What was Pope’s argument?
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?
Document P & Q:
What were the observations of Ibn Battuta in Document 9?
Does historian Michael Dols support the observations of Ibn Battuta in Document 9? Explain your thinking.
What does this document tell you about the Black Death?