The Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt
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教育者の方へ: The Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt(KS3 History、Medieval Britain 1066–1509)向けのすぐ使えるレッスンスライド, 復習ノート — レッスンで使うか、学習者がライブゲームとして遊ぶインタラクティブなクラス活動としてトピックを実施できます。
レッスンノート
England Before the Black Death
- England was a rural and agrarian society: close to 90% of people lived in the countryside.
- The population on the eve of the plague was probably around 6 million, though estimates range from 3 to 7 million.
- London was by far the largest city, with perhaps 70,000 inhabitants; Norwich had around 12,000 and York around 10,000.
- The main export and source of national wealth was wool, first exported raw to Flanders and later increasingly as finished cloth.
- Earlier crises such as the Great Famine of 1315–1317 killed many people, but there is no evidence of significant population decline before 1348.
- Under Edward III, England was becoming a major European power, winning the Battle of Neville's Cross (1346) against the Scots and the Battle of Crécy (1346) against the French.
The Arrival of the Black Death
- The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that reached England in June 1348.
- It was caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria and was the first and most severe outbreak of the second pandemic.
- The disease originated in Asia and spread west along trade routes across Europe, arriving in Britain from the English province of Gascony.
- It was spread by flea-infected rats: rats were the reservoir hosts of the bacteria and the Oriental rat flea was the main vector.
- The first known case in England was a seaman who arrived at Weymouth, Dorset, from Gascony in June 1348.
- By autumn 1348 the plague had reached London, and by summer 1349 it covered the whole country, dying down by December.
- The name Black Death was not used at the time; people called it the Great Pestilence or Great Mortality, and the term only became common in the late 17th century.
Symptoms and Types of Plague
- Flea bites carried the bacteria into the lymphatic system, where they reached the lymph nodes.
- In the lymph nodes the bacteria multiplied and formed swellings called buboes, giving the name bubonic plague.
- After three or four days the bacteria entered the bloodstream and infected organs such as the spleen and lungs; the patient normally died a few days later.
- Pneumonic plague was a different strain in which the bacteria became airborne and entered the lungs directly.
- Pneumonic plague was far more virulent because it spread directly from person to person.
- Septicaemic plague was rarer: the flea bite carried bacteria straight into the bloodstream, causing death very rapidly.
- All three types of infection probably played a part in the Black Death.
Contemporary Beliefs and Attempted Cures
- People at the time did not know about bacteria or fleas, so they explained the plague in other ways.
- Many believed the plague was a punishment from God for the sins of humanity.
- Others blamed bad air (miasma) or the alignment of the planets.
- Some people blamed minority groups, such as Jewish communities, and attacked them.
- Attempted cures included praying, fasting, carrying herbs or posies to ward off bad air, and bleeding or lancing buboes.
- None of these remedies worked, because they did not address the real cause of the disease.
Impact on Population and Society
- The plague killed an estimated 40–60% of England's population; earlier low estimates have been revised upwards.
- The most immediate consequence was a halt to the campaigns of the Hundred Years' War.
- In the long term, the fall in population caused a serious shortage of labour.
- This labour shortage led to a rise in wages, which landowners resisted.
- The landowners' resistance caused deep resentment among the lower classes.
- The plague returned in 1361–1362, killing around 20% of the population, and continued to return intermittently through the 14th and 15th centuries.
- Later outbreaks became less severe; one of the last was the Great Plague of London in 1665–1666.
The Statute of Labourers
- After the Black Death, workers realised their labour was in demand and demanded higher wages.
- Landowners and the government tried to force wages back down.
- In 1351 Parliament passed the Statute of Labourers, which fixed wages at pre-plague levels.
- It also tried to stop labourers from moving in search of better pay.
- The law was widely resisted and often ignored, increasing tension between lords and peasants.
- This tension helped set the scene for the Peasants' Revolt.
The Poll Tax and the Peasants' Revolt of 1381
- To pay for war with France, the government introduced a series of poll taxes — taxes paid by every adult regardless of wealth.
- The poll tax of 1381 was especially unpopular and triggered widespread anger.
- In June 1381, rebels from Kent and Essex marched on London.
- The rebels were led by Wat Tyler, and their demands included an end to serfdom and the poll tax.
- The young king Richard II met the rebels and promised to grant their demands.
- During a second meeting, Wat Tyler was killed; the rebellion then collapsed and was harshly suppressed.
- Although the revolt failed at the time, in the long term serfdom ended in England.
The Decline of Feudalism
- Feudalism was the system in which lords held land in return for service, and peasants worked the land in return for protection.
- The Black Death made labour scarce, so peasants could demand better conditions and wages.
- Many peasants left their manors to find work elsewhere, weakening the ties of serfdom.
- Landowners tried to enforce old obligations, but over time they could not stop the changes.
- By the end of the Middle Ages, serfdom had largely disappeared in England.
- The Black Death also affected art and culture, and may have helped advance the use of the vernacular (English) instead of French or Latin.
スライド
練習問題
無料プレビュー — 40問中8問。すべて見るには登録を。
1.In which year did the Black Death first reach England?
Easy- A1348
- B1381
- C1315
- D1361
2.Which bacterium causes the plague that we call the Black Death?
Easy- AYersinia pestis
- BOriental rat flea
- CInfluenza virus
- DSmallpox virus
3.Which port did the first-known case of the Black Death in England arrive at?
Easy- AWeymouth
- BLondon
- CNorwich
- DYork
4.Approximately what percentage of the English population died during the Black Death of 1348–1349?
Medium- A40–60%
- B20%
- C10–20%
- D80–90%
5.What was the main long-term economic consequence of the Black Death in England?
Medium- AA shortage of labour that led to higher wages
- BAn increase in the number of workers available
- CA fall in wages because fewer people were needed
- DThe end of the wool trade
6.What was the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 largely a result of?
Medium- AResentment at attempts to resist higher wages after the Black Death
- BA new outbreak of the plague in 1381
- CThe English defeat at the Battle of Crécy
- DA rebellion against the Statute of Labourers
7.Which disease is caused by the same bacterium as bubonic plague but spreads directly from person to person through the air?
Medium- APneumonic plague
- BSepticaemic plague
- CSmallpox
- DCholera
8.Where did the Black Death originate before it spread to England?
Medium- AAsia
- BAfrica
- CNorth America
- DScandinavia
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