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The Invention of the printing press majorly effected the world. Prior to the European release of the printing press, most books were hand written, making it hard to have multiple copies and costly to purchase them. Many books containing research were most likely one of a kind, making information difficult to spread throughout a nation and people uneducated. A important book of the time was the bible of course, since they didn't have anything alike to thee printing press, all bibles were also tediously hand written and people could only rely on the council of the church to read and share the knowledge of the bible to them. The printing press allowed for anyone to access a bible in a variety of languages at a cheap price as they could be mass produced. This led to a lower amount of people who relied on the church, and a increase in those following there religion at home. The creation of the printing press also allowed for information to be recorded and spread much faster then ever before, newspapers could spread news, philosophers could spread ideas, writers could spread there stories, and scientists could share there own research. The vast majority of books that eventually came made the literacy rates rocket, as now anyone could access and attempt to read a book.

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before the scientific revolution most out looks on life and explanations behind it were religious. The printing press allowed for spread of scientific explanation. The workings of the world were discovered during the scientific revolution with of course, scientific explanations. The scientific revolution eventually lead to advances that caused the industrial revolution.

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Constantinople was the capital city of Rome/Byzantine. The Ottoman Empires interest in Constantinople was not only because of their political and military traits. The Byzantine empire's core was served by a deep water port giving them access to the sea. the Byzantine empire also had a famous collection of christian relics, the ottoman empire had no interest in these relics for there age or importance, but because of the material they were crafted from. Often being solid gold or silver. The Ottoman expanded its territory by the 1400s, leaving only constantinople as a desirable region to conquer. At the same time, the Byzantine Empire was in decline, giving the ottoman empire an opening for conquering. They attacked with a force between 75,000 and 100,000 accompanied by a large fleet. They eventually broke through the strong walls of the byzantine empire, killed the emperor, and attacked others within the city walls. This event was a turning point because it marked the end of the byzantine empire.

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Admiral Zheng he was a muslim commoner, but as he made accomplishments he eventually ended out as a emperor. His list of accomplishments are all related to the many voyages he led. As a lieutenant he led 317 ships 31,100 miles, with these ships surpassing the fleet of all of europe combined. His naval fleets had around 28,000 sailors upon the largest wooden ships. These ships contained watertight compartments to keep their boats afloat, eventually even inspiring the titanic. Unfortunately his voyages were ended immediately upon his death, and all his records were destroyed, leaving little people too know of his ventures.

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Ibn Battuta was a scholar of Islamic law, he left his home of tangiers. He did such for a pilgrimage to Mecca, he traveled for almost thirty years. He proceeded to travel mostly in lands where Islam was the predominant religion and where people spoke arabic. When he returned home from tangiers he was instructed by the sultan of Morocco to record his stories. These stories were heard and written by Ibn Jazayy, and put into a travel guide titled the Rihla. Some scholars believe Ibn Battuta made up or based his accounts on other travelers word, and that Ibn Jazayy filled the gaps in Battuta's story collection with descriptions from other travelers.

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Resource

ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa.

Subjects

Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations, World History

Image

Timbuktu, Henrich Barth Painting

The fame of Mansa Musa and his phenomenal wealth spread as he traveled on his hajj to Mecca. Afterward, he put himself and his kingdom, West Africa's Mali, on the map, literally. Mali's Timbuktu was known for its schools and libraries.

Photograph by FL Historical 1D

Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the ruler of the kingdom of Mali from 1312 C.E. to 1337 C.E. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. The ancient kingdom of Mali spread across parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso. Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities. Mansa Musa turned the kingdom of Mali into a sophisticated center of learning in the Islamic world.

Mansa Musa came to power in 1312 C.E., after the previous king, Abu Bakr II, disappeared at sea. Mansa Abu Bakr II had departed on a large fleet of ships to explore the Atlantic Ocean, and never returned. Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.

When Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage ( hajj) to Mecca in 1324 C.E., his journey through Egypt caused quite a stir. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event. Arab writers from the time said that he travelled with an entourage of tens of thousands of people and dozens of camels, each carrying 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of gold. While in Cairo, Mansa Musa met with the Sultan of Egypt, and his caravan spent and gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased in Egypt for the next 12 years. Stories of his fabulous wealth even reached Europe. The Catalan Atlas, created in 1375 C.E. by Spanish cartographers, shows West Africa dominated by a depiction of Mansa Musa sitting on a throne, holding a nugget of gold in one hand and a golden staff in the other. After the publication of this atlas, Mansa Musa became cemented in the global imagination as a figure of stupendous wealth.

After his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa began to revitalize cities in his kingdom. He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. Timbuktu became a major Islamic university center during the 14th century due to Mansa Musa's developments. Mansa Musa brought architects and scholars from across the Islamic world into his kingdom, and the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew. The kingdom of Mali reached its greatest extent around the same time, a bustling, wealthy kingdom thanks to Mansa Musa's expansion and administration.

Mansa Musa died in 1337 and was succeeded by his sons. His skillful administration left his empire well-off at the time of his death, but eventually, the empire fell apart. Well after his death, Mansa Musa remained engrained in the imagination of the world as a symbol of fabulous wealth. However, his riches are only one part of his legacy, and he is also remembered for his Islamic faith, promotion of scholarship, and patronage of culture in Mali.

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Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society

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National Geographic Society

Production Managers

Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society

Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society

Program Specialists

Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society, National Geographic Society

Margot Willis, National Geographic Society

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Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the king of the ancient empire of Mali in West Africa.

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Mansa Musa was a wealthy African emperor, being recorded as the richest man alive to the present day. His rulerish ran from 1312 to 1337, he controlled about 80 percent of the world's gold. But his only accomplishment wasn't his well known wealth, he was also a skilled leader, bringing mali to be one of the largest empires in African history. Musa took his Islamic faith very seriously, enough to make it the official religion of Mali. During his Hajj to Mecca, that he traveled 4,000 miles for, he gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased for the next 12 years.

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Marco Polo was a European traveler, hes well-known for traveling across the silk road in medieval times. While Polo wasn't the first european to visit china, what made his journey recognizable is the fact that he recorded the events of his travels in his book "Livres des merveilles du monde". Kublai Khan was the current Mongol Emperor of china, being the grandson of Genghis Khan. Marco polo became a well known Merchant for traveling the silk road, making Kublai Khan favor him and provide Polo with a position serving in his court as a diplomat. Marco polo proceeded to act out his job and travel throughout China and Asia as a representative of the Yuan Dynasty. He also brought any requested goods to the Emperor.

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Genghis Khan is a notable figure in history for leading and unifying nomadic tribes into what would eventually become the mongol empire. The Mongols before Genghis Khan were groups of nomadic tribal people who lived in tents and roamed around on horses. Genghis Khan successfully unified these different tribes. The Mongols conquests have two different possible explanations as to why they began. One is because of the issues in their living environment, drops in annual temperature, and growing seasons for grass being cut short, affecting there animals. Another reason is due to trade disruptions, with china attempting to reduce trade with the Mongols. No matter which reason chosen, the mongols in the definitive end saw either of those issues and decided to respond with raids, attacks, and invasions. The Mongols vastly impacted history, they are widely seen as ruthless conquerors who brought indescribable amounts of destruction.

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Also known as "Holy Wars" The crusades were a fight between Christian and Muslims over the holy land (jerusalem). Separate groups of religions all had their own beliefs to have claim over the holy land. Christians believe they have claim over jerusalem because that was where jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. the jewish people believe they had a claim over the land because abraham was given it by god. Muslim people believe they have claim over the land for the similar reason that Abraham was given the land by god and its the place where Muhammad was ascended into heaven to meet allah. The crusades were called for by Pope Urban II, basically initiating a war against muslims. Pope Urban had a desire to increase the church's power, retake holy sites in jerusalem, and wanted an excuse for kings and lord to stop fighting each other and begin fighting others with actual reason. The muslims in the end won the crusades, with europeans never regaining the holy land. However the crusades resulted in a decrease in feudalism ( End of the dark ages), Cultural Diffusion, Increased trade, and a increased demand for food.

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due to the scarcity of water in desert regions, muslims developed ingenious irrigation techniques which utilized a variety of underground wells. A combination of dams, reservoirs, and aqueducts were all constructed through the islamic empire. Muslims also perfected the water wheel. The water wheel was an upright pole connected to a series of geared wheels, turning four water scoops, rising one after another to empty its contents into a canal. Water wheels were able to be operated by man, animals, or simply just wind. Different rulers preverservde and improved the complicated series of underground wells to irrigate fields, the wells could be paced as much as 50 ft deed in order to tap underground sources. The agriculture within Islam was very dependant on these irrigation techniques.

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Another of the many accomplishments of Muslim scholars during the golden age of islam is the advancements in Zoology they made. Zoology is the scientific study of animals, the Muslims lifestyle and economy during the era was very dependent on animals for a large variety of reasons. This was the reason why Muslims gained interest in studying these animals they incorporated into their daily life. Al-Jahiz was one of the leaders in the study of Zoology, he was born in 776 A.D in Basra and he worked to popularize the science of Zoology. Al-Jahiz composed 200 works of famous books containing information on animals. They contained both stories of his and scientific theories about many animals. His work later served as a model for Ibn Bakhtishu, and many alike. Even later on, Al-Damiri used Al-Jahiz's scientific information to write an encyclopedia of animals.

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One of the many achievements of the islamic golden age is the creation of chess. Chess is a well known board game that was introduced to muslims by persians ( Who imported it from india). Chess proceeded to become popular due to the challenge it served to have for one's mind. It is an intellectual and difficult game. Caliphs would invite champions of chess to hold matches at their palaces. As time progressed, muslims proceeded to adapt and improve at the complicated game. They were involved in the introduction and implementation of chess into European society as well. Chess is still considered to be a intellectual and highly played game today, with many competitive players involved.

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it was a period of cultural rebirth in europe, it was an era following the middle ages. It is a well known golden age that began in italy in 1350 and spread throughout the rest of europe. It began in italy because of the inspiration italians took from rome ruins, scholars that studied latin preserved texts, and christian scholars whom fled with greek manuscripts when the turkish conquered constantinople.

during the era, the most one of the most powerful families were the Medici family. they were italian merchants and bankers and were patrons of the arts. It is due to their existence in the era that florence was the center of the italian renaissance. Thinking was majorly and importantly changed during the renaissance, with secularism being a more used point of view. The people of europe gained more interest in science and art while lessening interest in religious answers to questions of the world. The intellectual movement of Humanism was also brought into the picture. Humanism emphasizes the worth and uniqueness of each individual, shifting focus in art and music too the human being. The belief of humanism was that education stimulated creativity.

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Roman medicine was influenced by Greeks own earlier medical practices and literature. However not a direct copy, Roman medicine still made its own contribution to history. Many Roman households had their own medical specialists. The availability of medical literature allowed for many Romans to gain medical knowledge and surgery became more sophisticated. Galen was a physician who learned about anatomy through the dissection of both apes and pigs. Since he was forbidden by law to dissect human corpses, he depended his knowledge of the body from animal corpses and external examination o gladiators and hanged criminals.

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Two most known roman writers of the era were Virgil and Cicero, while their works were made before the pax romana, their literature was most read during the golden era. Virgil was regarded as the romans greatest poet by the romans themselves. His work "Aeneid" tells the story of rome's founder and describes the roman mission to civilize the entire word under their divine guidance. this story was considered to be a national treasure by romans. Cicero, a roman statesman, scholar, writer, and lawyer attempted to keep republican principles in the civil wars that destroyed the roman republic. He wrote speeches, philosophical and political treatises, and books of rhetoric.

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During the song Dynasty, a commoner named Bi Sheng created a faster more efficient way of printing called "moveable-type" , meaning the alphabetical characters could be easily moved around a page. prior too this invention in printing, the only form of printing to exist was wood block printing, which was considered tedious and time consuming. So the invention of Moveable type printing was a large and useful development. This allowed for books to be produced and printed much more effectively. Without the early concepts of printing we would not have the easily accessible documents,books, and articles we use today

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Tang Dynasty Achievement #2: The mechanical clock 

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Tang Dynasty Achievement #2: The mechanical clock 

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The Mechanical Clock was first developed during the Tang Dynasty. Yi Xing, a Buddhist monk and mathematician created the first mechanical clock by powering a wheel with dripping water, the wheel made full revolutions in 24 hours. While this was a very different concept than the mechanical clocks we have today, without the initial idea from creator Yi Xing, we would never have developed the mechanical clock into the essential device we have today

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Song Dynasty Achievement #1: Mathematics

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Song Dynasty Achievement #1: Mathematics

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During the song Dynasty, Chinese people developed the tool called an Abacus. This tool consists of a rectangular wooden frame with beaded rods attached. The Abacus allowed for people to swiftly add and subtract. At the time of its creation, the Abacus held high usage with merchants when calculating prices. the Abacus gradually gained traction across other places in asia and the rest of the world. Now Abacus have been mostly replaced by their more useful counter part- calculators. However many merchants within Asia still use the tool, and the Abacus is taught in Asian schools as well.

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Tang Dynasty Achievement #1: Paper money 

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Tang Dynasty Achievement #1: Paper money 

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The people of the Tang Dynasty are considered to be one of the first civilizations to create paper money during 800s AD. Before the creation of paper money, they used copper coins. The use of copper coins became an issue because of the scarcity of copper. The creation of paper money allowed for a less wasteful form of currency, made with a materia they had a abundance of, and was difficult to run out of. The usage of paper money was continued into the Song Dynasty and the idea eventually spread to other parts of the world. bringing us now to our current day use of paper money worldwide.

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The Black Death was a devastating global event that occurred in asia and europe in the mid 1300s. It is believed that the plague began in asia and arrived in europe when 12 ships from the black sea docked at the port of messina. The black plague began with swelling on the groin or under armpits, which could grow as large as an apple. Blood and pus seeped out of the swellings and following such was a long series of concerning and unpleasant symptoms. Such as fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, aches and pains, and eventually death. This disease was unfortunately easily spread, it could be caught from the mere touching of clothes. It also took effect terrifyingly fast, making a completely healthy by night person near dead by morning. The black death was treated by unsophisticated techniques such as bloodletting and boil lancing. The black death killed near 50 million people.

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Like greek architects, Roman architects made beautiful well crafted structures which also stand today. Romans used column styles that were similar to the greeks, however they also were known for being innovators and they quickly adopted new construction techniques. Their creativity at the time is what we can thank for the dome and the arch as structures. The government funded and organized the spread of romans beautiful new structures that would survive to the present day.

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With Greeks being known for their architecture, they of course had to also use mathematics in order to create as beautiful complex structures as they did. The philosopher Pyorgara developed the common known method for explaining the relationship between the angles and legs of right triangles named the Pythagorean Theorem. The Pythagorean Theorem is still used and taught today, most commonly for architecture, but also in things like astronomy and engineering.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10P0SzL8tS-lgFFKfJdfbmgAnvsos52fnBpATqkpL9QA/edit

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Many Greek playwrights wrote drama and comedies that were frequently in theaters or festivals. Surprisingly enough, only three playwrights works have survived from the era, the playwrights being Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Sophocles being most well celebrated for his works, winning many awards at Dionysian festivals. His most recognizable works are Antigone and Oedipus Rex.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10P0SzL8tS-lgFFKfJdfbmgAnvsos52fnBpATqkpL9QA/edit

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Greek architects are known for making some of the most respected and distinctive structures of all times. Building recognizable structures such as the Parthenon, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Temple of Hephaestus. A Lot of the structures they built are still standing, which is very impressive for the amount of time since they've been built.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10P0SzL8tS-lgFFKfJdfbmgAnvsos52fnBpATqkpL9QA/edit

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The Han Dynasty, held high complex beliefs in the afterlife. They filled tombs with items that they considered to be important to the soul after death. Types of object left on these tombs were ceramic or wooden sculptures which represented types of servants or even guard dogs to protect the tombs. The tombs were also decorated with murals or ceramic tiles. The spiritual and emotional themes in which these important, developed art pieces held show how much high regard they held.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ll-iwiKq76f3zdUbSsfMxjgfTuM-Usjb30WQpeU2FYI/edit

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Within China during the Han Dynasty they invented the compass. a very important instrument for travel and direction, the compass allowed for people to determine the direction in which they were traveling more accurately. It especially allowed for people to travel on the sea during cloudy nights when they couldn't determine direction by the stars. Compasses work by magnetic fields which determine which direction is north. The invention of the compass is Major, and still will continue to be today. Its invention led for the discovery and ventures of new lands and oceans in our world.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ll-iwiKq76f3zdUbSsfMxjgfTuM-Usjb30WQpeU2FYI/edit

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Within the Han Dynasty, they developed the use of the Civil Service Exam. This exam and the concept of it is used in modern day America. 80% of American government jobs require for a person to take and pass the civil service exam. The civil service exam in the Han Dynasty asked one about their knowledge on Confucian classics, their ability to read and write, and there knowledge of the five studies in the Han Dynasties era. While modern day American Civil Service Exams ask questions relating to math, reading, writing and reasoning. The exams basically determines a persons level of civilization and basic knowledge.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ll-iwiKq76f3zdUbSsfMxjgfTuM-Usjb30WQpeU2FYI/edit

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The gupta empire in its golden age especially contributed to the world of mathematics. They developed major ideas such as the concept of zero, the decimal system, and the concept of pi. But most importantly, they were the first to use the numbers 1-9 for counting. The Arabic system of numbers in which the people of the Gupta empire discovered is the system used most often in the world today. These arabic numbers paved the way for the algebraic system and math as a whole, for it all bases of the use of numbers.

http://flintsocialstudiescurriculum.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/3/1/44310935/ss7u5l5pp.pdf

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There is no definitive reason why the Western Roman Empire fell, as many different theories were proposed. One possible cause is through the military weaknesses in rome. The roman army was weakened due to their lack of discipline. This led to them being defeated by barbarian invaders, as Romans were no longer willing to fight and instead highered mercenaries to fight. Social causes for the fall are the decline in patriotism, discipline, and devotion to the empire, as well as decline in population due to war and disease. Additionally socially christianity was gaining in popularity. Economic causes behind the fall were heightened taxes and decrease in innovation as many relied on slave labor. Finally political causes behind the fall were that the political office was seen as a burden, the military began to interfere in politics, the capital was moved to byzantium, and lastly the division of the empire. The fall of the roman empire led to them eventually lacking a central government, causing for roman society to turn to the Roman Catholic Church for community.

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The people of the Gupta empire had very advanced views and discoveries in the world of science. The Gupta people identified the 7 primary planets long before the europeans. Gupta astronomers explored many ideas relating to space and its inhabitants that we now consider basic knowledge. Such as making the calculation that there are 365 days in a year, and that Mercury and Venus Rotate around the sun. Scientists in the gupta empire also explored the concept of gravity, which is a very intellectual topic especially considering the time era in which they lived.

http://flintsocialstudiescurriculum.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/3/1/44310935/ss7u5l5pp.pdf

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Achievement # 1: Literature in the Gupta golden age. 

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Achievement # 1: Literature in the Gupta golden age. 

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There were many types of writers in the Gupta empire at the time. Playwrights, poets, fabulists, even folk tales were created. However one of the biggest achievements of writers during the time era is the writing and creation of many now sacred hindu writings. They wrote out the known stories which taught them important lessons into the the Puranas. Which features the very important Bhagavad Gita which is a beloved piece in hinduism. Along with that, the poem worked on over years was finished in the gupta time era, the Mahabharata which signifies many Hindu beliefs, was made.

http://flintsocialstudiescurriculum.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/3/1/44310935/ss7u5l5pp.pdf

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9/11 is a day in which changed america forever. Prior to the tragic event, America never would have considered "defending the country from future terrorist attacks" to be a constant top priority in its list. But not long after the tragedy, the people of America and the Government all heavily lean to keeping America safe from terrorist attacks as a top priority. Even while America deals with other detrimental issues, keeping america safe from future terrorist attacks stays as a constant high priority due to the trauma that 9/11 caused.

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Before the Covid pandemic the state of the world was drastically different to how it is now. the effects of Covid too are very prominently shown in research, and connect thoroughly to some lenses within social studies. Before the pandemic, the projected rate of poverty globally was about 613.7 million people. Whilst that's an immensely large number, it's small-scale in comparison to the now number of poverty worldwide post pandemic, being over 719 million people. A 106 million number difference gained in only two years. Whilst the pandemic still is considered to be ongoing, only time will tell how the percentages will turn.

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In the final couple of months in 7th grade I decided to move my seat to sit closer to my friend angie. Before moving to that lunch table I only had around 3 friends, including angie. As time progressed and I continued sitting at that table till the end of 8th grade, I grew relationships and friendships with everyone at the table, opening myself up socially changing my view on talking too thoose in which I may not know well. Along with that factor, sitting at that table enabled me to truly meet and get close to my now best friend Teresita. I now have plenty of friends and am open too making more thanks too simply moving where I sat at lunch one day.

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Suggested that the universe revolved around the sun, instead of the earth. he is the father of modern astronomy.

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How Did the Black Plague Start?

Even before the "death ships" pulled into port at Messina, many Europeans had heard rumors about a "Great Pestilence" that was carving a deadly path across the trade routes of the Near and Far East. Indeed, in the early 1340s, the disease had struck China, India, Persia, Syria and Egypt.

The plague is thought to have originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago and was likely spread by trading ships, though recent research has indicated the pathogen responsible for the Black Death may have existed in Europe as early as 3000 B.C.

Symptoms of the Black Plague

Europeans were scarcely equipped for the horrible reality of the Black Death. "In men and women alike," the Italian poet Giovanni Boccaccio wrote, "at the beginning of the malady, certain swellings, either on the groin or under the armpits...waxed to the bigness of a common apple, others to the size of an egg, some more and some less, and these the vulgar named plague-boils."

Blood and pus seeped out of these strange swellings, which were followed by a host of other unpleasant symptoms-fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, terrible aches and pains-and then, in short order, death.

The Bubonic Plague attacks the lymphatic system, causing swelling in the lymph nodes. If untreated, the infection can spread to the blood or lungs.

How Did the Black Death Spread?

The Black Death was terrifyingly, indiscriminately contagious: "the mere touching of the clothes," wrote Boccaccio, "appeared to itself to communicate the malady to the toucher." The disease was also terrifyingly efficient. People who were perfectly healthy when they went to bed at night could be dead by morning.

Did you know? Many scholars think that the nursery rhyme "Ring around the Rosy" was written about the symptoms of the Black Death.

Understanding the Black Death

Today, scientists understand that the Black Death, now known as the plague, is spread by a bacillus called Yersinia pestis. (The French biologist Alexandre Yersin discovered this germ at the end of the 19th century.)

They know that the bacillus travels from person to person through the air, as well as through the bite of infected fleas and rats. Both of these pests could be found almost everywhere in medieval Europe, but they were particularly at home aboard ships of all kinds-which is how the deadly plague made its way through one European port city after another.

Not long after it struck Messina, the Black Death spread to the port of Marseilles in France and the port of Tunis in North Africa. Then it reached Rome and Florence, two cities at the center of an elaborate web of trade routes. By the middle of 1348, the Black Death had struck Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and London.

Today, this grim sequence of events is terrifying but comprehensible. In the middle of the 14th century, however, there seemed to be no rational explanation for it.

No one knew exactly how the Black Death was transmitted from one patient to another, and no one knew how to prevent or treat it. According to one doctor, for example, "instantaneous death occurs when the aerial spirit escaping from the eyes of the sick man strikes the healthy person standing near and looking at the sick."

How Do You Treat the Black Death?

Physicians relied on crude and unsophisticated techniques such as bloodletting and boil-lancing (practices that were dangerous as well as unsanitary) and superstitious practices such as burning aromatic herbs and bathing in rosewater or vinegar.

Meanwhile, in a panic, healthy people did all they could to avoid the sick. Doctors refused to see patients; priests refused to administer last rites; and shopkeepers closed their stores. Many people fled the cities for the countryside, but even there they could not escape the disease: It affected cows, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens as well as people.

In fact, so many sheep died that one of the consequences of the Black Death was a European wool shortage. And many people, desperate to save themselves, even abandoned their sick and dying loved ones. "Thus doing," Boccaccio wrote, "each thought to secure immunity for himself."

Black Plague: God's Punishment?

Because they did not understand the biology of the disease, many people believed that the Black Death was a kind of divine punishment-retribution for sins against God such as greed, blasphemy, heresy, fornication and worldliness.

By this logic, the only way to overcome the plague was to win God's forgiveness. Some people believed that the way to do this was to purge their communities of heretics and other troublemakers-so, for example, many thousands of Jews were massacred in 1348 and 1349. (Thousands more fled to the sparsely populated regions of Eastern Europe, where they could be relatively safe from the rampaging mobs in the cities.)

Some people coped with the terror and uncertainty of the Black Death epidemic by lashing out at their neighbors; others coped by turning inward and fretting about the condition of their own souls.

Flagellants

Some upper-class men joined processions of flagellants that traveled from town to town and engaged in public displays of penance and punishment: They would beat themselves and one another with heavy leather straps studded with sharp pieces of metal while the townspeople looked on. For 33 1/2 days, the flagellants repeated this ritual three times a day. Then they would move on to the next town and begin the process over again.

Though the flagellant movement did provide some comfort to people who felt powerless in the face of inexplicable tragedy, it soon began to worry the Pope, whose authority the flagellants had begun to usurp. In the face of this papal resistance, the movement disintegrated.

How Did the Black Death End?

The plague never really ended and it returned with a vengeance years later. But officials in the port city of Ragusa were able to slow its spread by keeping arriving sailors in isolation until it was clear they were not carrying the disease-creating social distancing that relied on isolation to slow the spread of the disease.

The sailors were initially held on their ships for 30 days (a trentino), a period that was later increased to 40 days, or a quarantine- the origin of the term "quarantine" and a practice still used today.

Does the Black Plague Still Exist?

The Black Death epidemic had run its course by the early 1350s, but the plague reappeared every few generations for centuries. Modern sanitation and public-health practices have greatly mitigated the impact of the disease but have not eliminated it. While antibiotics are available to treat the Black Death, according to The World Health Organization, there are still 1,000 to 3,000 cases of plague every year.
Gallery: Pandemics That Changed History

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The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. Explore the facts of the plague, the symptoms it caused and how millions died from it.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Considered the father of modern science, He discovered the law of the pendulum. He developed the idea that one must prove something is true through experiments. Creating the scientific process.

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described a proveable law of gravity, proposed that things fell because of the fall of gravity.