London before the fire
How many people lived in London before the fire?
400.000
Where did the great fire start?
Pudding lane
In which year did the great plague hit London?
1665
Name one historical source about the fire?
Samuel Pepys or John Evelyn
Name one important figure in the reconstruction
Christopher Wren, Robert hooke or John Evelyn
what were many houses made of?
Wood
On what date did the fire start?
2 September 1666
What disease caused thousands deaths?
bubonic plague
Who wrote a famous diary about the great fire?
Samuel Pepys
What did John Evelyn propose for London?
A more regular city with larger streets and large squares
Name 2 reasons why London was vulnerable to fire?
Narrow streets, wooden houses, flammable materials, dry weather, pour firefighting equipment
How did the strong wind affect the fire?
They made the fire spread faster
Who was falsely accused of starting the fire?
Robert Hubert
Why is it important to verify historical sources?
Because popular belief were not always supported by evidence
Was Evely’s plan adopted?
Nope
What was the economic importance of London before the fire?
It was the economic core of England and hosted places such as the royal exchange and the East Indian company
What technique helped stop the fire?
Firebreaks
Why did the people look for someone to blame?
Fear and uncertainty
Name 2 types of historical sources mentioned in the presentation
Written accounts, maps.
How was the reconstruction financed?
Through taxes and loans
Describe the main characteristics of the poorest area of the city before the fire
The poorest houses were made of wood
Why was the Tower of London in danger? And how was it saved?
The tower contained 600 tons of gunpowde, firebreaks
How did religion influence people’s interpretation of the plague and fire?
Some people saw the plague as a punishment from God
What do the sources tell us about popular belief and historical evidence?
They show that people interpreted event through fear, religion and rumors, while later investigation sometimes contradicted those beliefs
why was much of London rebuild following the old street layout
because redesigning would have been difficult and expensive