Black Death
Indiana World History Standards
SS.WH.4.9
Describe the rise, achievements, decline and demise of the Byzantine Empire; the relationships of Byzantine and Western
Civilizations; the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453; and the impact on European peoples living in the
Turkish (Ottoman) Empire.
Today’s Objectives
- To understand the conditions & implications of the Black Death
-To understand the impact of the Black Death on Western Europe
2
• Europe’s Darkest Hour
→ In 1348, trading ships from the Black Sea arrived in Italy
…unaware their cargo include rats & fleas infected with
bubonic plague
→ Spread quickly by traders who carried the disease along
Europe’s network of trade routes
→ This epidemic will end within 5 years of its initial outbreak
…it will leave 25 million dead Europeans (1/3 of entire pop.)
Spread of Bubonic Plague
• Impact
→ Ends Feudalism in Europe
…declining urban populations
created demand for skilled
workers
…thousands left the countryside to
fill these openings
…smaller workforce led to
higher wages & prices
The Plague: “Aftermath”
Black Death
→ Unable to stop the disease, the
prestige & power of the Church
will suffer
→ Obsession with death & dying will lead many to seek new
ways of enjoying life: carpe diem
Essential Question
Describe the impact of the Black Death on Europe (3)
Target Questions
• How did the Black Death start in Europe?
• What was carpe diem?
Required Reading Question(s)
1) Describe the threats to Church power. (pg. 271)