Fun facts
What animals helped spread the plague without people knowing?
Rats carrying fleas.
What bacteria caused the Black Death?
Yersinia pestis.
In what year did the plague reach Europe?
1347.
Which continent was most affected by the Black Death?
Europe.
What simple method did people use to avoid infection?
Staying away from others (quarantine).
What color did the skin sometimes turn because of the plague?
Dark or black patches.
What insect carried the bacteria?
Fleas.
Where did the Black Death originally come from?
Central Asia.
Name one other region where the plague spread.
North Africa (or Asia).
What did doctors fill their beak masks with?
Herbs and strong smells.
How long did it take for many people to die after getting sick?
Only a few days.
What major cause made the plague spread so fast in towns?
Dirty and overcrowded living conditions.
How did the plague first arrive in Europe?
On ships traveling for trade.
What major European country lost millions of people?
England (also France, Italy, Spain).
What painful method did doctors sometimes use to “remove” the disease?
Cutting open buboes.
What strange mask did plague doctors wear?
A bird-beak mask.
What happened to the population of Europe as a result of the plague?
Millions died, reducing the population drastically.
What was the name of the group that punished themselves to “stop” the plague?
The flagellants.
In what Italian city did the plague first enter Europe?
Messina (Sicily).
What did people burn in their homes hoping it would clean the air?
Aromatic herbs or incense.
What famous trade route accidentally helped spread the disease?
The Silk Road.
What long-term consequence changed peasants’ lives?
Workers earned higher wages and gained more rights.
What name did people use for the large swellings caused by the plague?
Buboes.
What type of places suffered the most because they were crowded?
Cities and ports.
What practice did towns use to stop the disease from entering?
Closing their gates and blocking travel.