The Black Death

The Black Death was the Medieval name given to the plague. When you caught the plague you got swellings under your arm pits and in your groin. You would also have a fever.

In the Middle Ages no one knew how to stop the plague. They did not know what caused the plague. Some people thought you caught the plague by looking at an infected person, others thought it was caused by lizards and snakes dropping out of the sky. Some people thought the plague was a punishment from God.

Today we know that the plague was really caused by fleas. The fleas were carried by rats to many different countries. If a flea bit a person then they would catch the plague. People could also catch the plague if they were with someone who had the plague.

Here is a list of ways Medieval people thought would stop you getting the plague:-

The Black Death

The Black Death was the Medieval name given to the plague. When you caught the plague you got swellings under your arm pits and in your groin. You would also have a fever.

In the Middle Ages no one knew how to stop the plague. They did not know what caused the plague. Some people thought you caught the plague by looking at an infected person, others thought it was caused by lizards and snakes dropping out of the sky. Some people thought the plague was a punishment from God.

Today we know that the plague was really caused by fleas. The fleas were carried by rats to many different countries. If a flea bit a person then they would catch the plague. People could also catch the plague if they were with someone who had the plague.

Here is a list of ways Medieval people thought would stop you getting the plague:-

What happened after the Black Death?

The Black Death killed a lot of people. There were not enough people to plough the fields. There were not enough people to work for the lord and grow their own crops. The lords expcted the labourers to work even harder.

Medieval writing tells us there was no one to look after the animals and that many villages had no one left , they were deserted. The labourers started to ask for more money.

A man called Henry Knighton wrote in 1349 that Priests before the Black Death were paid £2 but now there were so few priests they demanded £20. If employers tried to pay their workers less then the workers would go somewhere else.

What happened after the Black Death?

The Black Death killed a lot of people. There were not enough people to plough the fields. There were not enough people to work for the lord and grow their own crops. The lords expcted the labourers to work even harder.

Medieval writing tells us there was no one to look after the animals and that many villages had no one left , they were deserted. The labourers started to ask for more money.

A man called Henry Knighton wrote in 1349 that Priests before the Black Death were paid £2 but now there were so few priests they demanded £20. If employers tried to pay their workers less then the workers would go somewhere else.