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Historical Epidemics Overview

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Historical Epidemics Overview

Read the evidence cards and timeline, then answer the questions. Use details from the sources and explain your reasoning where asked.

Evidence cards: outbreaks across time

An epidemic is a disease outbreak that spreads through a community or region. A pandemic spreads across many countries or continents. Historical records can be incomplete, so estimates may differ.

BLACK DEATH 1347–1351 in Europe Cause: plague bacteria, mainly spread by fleas carried on rodents, and sometimes through the air. Impact: killed a very large share of Europe’s population. Labour shortages changed work and social relationships.

CHOLERA OUTBREAKS 1800s, including in crowded cities Cause: bacteria spread when people drank water contaminated by human waste. Impact: outbreaks encouraged investigation of water supplies and investment in cleaner water and sewage systems.

1918 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC 1918–1920 Cause: influenza virus spread between people, especially through respiratory droplets. Impact in Aotearoa New Zealand: the pandemic reached the country in late 1918. About 9,000 people died, with Māori suffering a much higher death rate than non-Māori.

A timeline to investigate

Place the three events in sequence. Dates show approximate periods, not the exact start of every outbreak.

1.Which outbreak happened first? Use the timeline or evidence cards to support your choice.

2.Choose the strongest explanation for why cholera spread rapidly in crowded cities with poor sanitation.

People caught it from contaminated drinking water.
Fleas carried it from rodents to people.
It spread only through coughs and sneezes.
It was caused by a lack of fresh air.

3.True or false: the 1918 influenza pandemic reached Aotearoa New Zealand, and its effects were unequal for Māori and non-Māori.

TrueFalse

4.Match each outbreak to its main route of spread. Write the correct letter beside each number. 1. Black Death 2. Cholera 3. 1918 influenza A. Contaminated water B. Respiratory droplets between people C. Fleas carried by rodents; sometimes airborne spread

1. Black Death
2. Cholera
3. 1918 influenza

A. Contaminated water
C. Fleas carried by rodents; sometimes airborne spread
B. Respiratory droplets between people

5.Use the cholera evidence card to explain one way that an outbreak led to a change in public life or infrastructure.

6.A researcher says, “Everyone was affected equally by the 1918 influenza pandemic.” Is this claim supported by the evidence card? Explain using one detail.

7.Fill in the blanks using the evidence cards: Cholera spread when people drank water, while influenza spread mainly through droplets.

8.A town is planning how to reduce the risk of a waterborne outbreak. Which action best addresses cholera’s route of spread?

Protect drinking water from sewage contamination.
Build more crowded housing.
Ask people to avoid all contact with animals.
Close every market permanently.

9.Compare two outbreaks: name one similarity in their effects on society and one difference in how they spread. Support your answer with evidence from the cards.

10.The source says the Black Death killed a “very large share” of Europe’s population rather than giving one exact percentage. Why might a historian choose cautious wording when describing this impact?