So many people died within such a short period that Europe was greatly changed by the Black Death:
• The feudal system, especially serfdom, declined as many serfs left manors and moved to the towns to replace those who had died.
• The peasants who remained on the land were able to demand better treatment from their lords, a reduction in the taxes they paid and more land because there were fewer of them to do the work.
• The failure to fi nd a cure for the Black Death meant that doctors began to question their practices. This would lead to big changes in medicine during the Renaissance, as we will see in the next chapter.
CHECKPOINT!
1. What were medieval medical practices based on? 2. What did people believe caused illnesses? 3. What were the main treatments for illness in the Middle Ages? 4. Why did diseases spread so easily? 5. Why was childbirth so dangerous for women? 6. What was the Black Death? 7. How was it spread? 8. What were the symptoms? 9. How did people respond to the plague?
10. Why did the Black Death lead to better conditions for peasants? .
I can describe medicine in the Middle Ages and understand the Black Death and its lasting impact.
TIME TO GO BACK
I CAN MOVE FORWARD
Go to page 39 of your Sources and Skills Book for an activity on the Black Death.
