HIS 322 - The Black Death and the Transformation of Europe

Fourteenth century Europe was racked with natural disaster, famine, and war. But the catastrophic Bubonic plague epidemic that hit Europe mid-century changed the course of modern western civilization. Killing more than half of Europe’s population, the plague caused a radical reconfiguration of the religious, social and educational institutions of medieval Europe. This course examines the plague epidemic from the testimony of those who lived through it, while employing the tools of modern scientific research in the history of disease and mass-casualty epidemics. We will also consider how the plague’s demographic and cultural destruction set the stage for the early phases of the Italian Renaissance, while bringing about new understandings of the scientific study of disease and the practice of medicine in Europe. We will also consider historiographic debates on the applicability of the medieval plague to modern medical and epidemiological crises. Course Codes: B. Prereq: PEQ in History, or any survey history class.

Prerequisites & Notes
Course Codes: B. Prereq: PEQ in History, or any survey history class. Normal cycle offering: Fall. Yearly cycle: all years.

Credits: 3