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During the black death, the plague doctors wore bird-like beaked masks and were covered head to toe in clothing. The masks often had dried flowers, herbs, and usually lavender to try to protect the doctors from the plague. Part of the uniform worked because it protected the doctors from getting flea and rodent bites which were one component of the plague spreading but the bird mask did nothing. “The Plague, 1331-1770.” The Black Death, http://hosted.lib.uiowa.edu/histmed/plague/. -
People started quarantining, social distancing, and even used leeches to try to treat it. This affected new medicine because it showed what worked and what didn't work. Roos, Dave. “Social Distancing and Quarantine Were Used in Medieval Times to Fight the Black Death.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 25 Mar. 2020, https://www.history.com/news/quarantine-black-death-medieval. -
Some symptoms of the plague were fever, fatigue, shivering, vomiting, headaches, giddiness, intolerance to light, pain in the back and limbs, sleeplessness, apathy, and delirium as stated by Britannica. “Black Death.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death. -
A ship from Asia came to Europe which carried rats that had the plague. The rats had gotten the disease from fleas that carried it and passed it onto them. But essentially, humans were the main cause of the vast spread. Little, Becky. “Rats Didn't Spread the Black Death-It Was Humans.” History.com, A& E Television Networks, 17 Jan. 2018, https://www.history.com/news/rats-didnt-spread-the-black-death-it-was-humans. -
The black death impacted society, the economy, and politics by how many people died. Also, people would leave their loved ones to quarantine themselves which also caused it to become very hard to find workers. It impacted culture by influencing a lot of death in European arts. It also impacted science by shifting the way scientists view medicine. Vanneste, Sarah Frances. “The Black Death and the Future of Medicine.” DigitalCommons@WayneState, https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/29/.
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This was when the first wave of the plague was recorded. It is also referred to as the Black Death. It is estimated that about 25 million people died from the plague during this time. The black death is important for us presently because it reminds us of how tragic epidemics can be if they are not controlled correctly. “Bubonic Plague: The First Pandemic.” Science Museum, 25 Apr. 2019, https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/bubonic-plague-first-pandemic.
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During the plague, a lot of people died every day so they had to start getting rid of the corpses somehow. They would place up to five people on top of each other in trenches and then after a while, they started actually burying people in what is now called "plague pits". Schultz, Colin. “Black Plague Death Pit Dug up in London.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 18 Mar. 2013, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/black-plague-death-pit-dug-up-in-london-3355927/.
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The printing press was invented in 1436 by Johannes Gutenberg. It caused information to be spread much quicker and it made printed media much more accessible and affordable. The printing press was an invention that was so significant that it is still used today. Perry, Mark J. “Economic Impact of the Printing Press: Info Age 1.0.” AEI, 13 Feb. 2011, https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/economic-impact-of-the-printing-press-info-age-1-0/.
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In 1517, Martin Luther published the 95 theses which argued against selling indulgences and stated that sins cannot be diminished through payment. This shifted people's view on Christianity and it caused a new branch of Christianity to be created called Protestantism. Kennedy, Lesley. “How the Renaissance Challenged the Church and Influenced the Reformation.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Sept. 2021, https://www.history.com/news/renaissance-influence-reformation-humanism.