This key facts covers Government Response within The Plague of 1665 for GCSE History. Revise The Plague of 1665 in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 4 of 16 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 4 of 16
Practice
8 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
📌 Government Response
| Measure | Description | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|
| Shutting up houses | Infected houses sealed for 40 days. Red cross painted on door. Watchmen posted. | Probably made it worse — trapped healthy with sick |
| Bills of Mortality | Weekly published death counts by parish. Helped track spread. | Useful for information but under-reported (people hid cases) |
| Killing dogs and cats | 40,000 dogs killed in London. Thought they spread disease. | Wrong — removing cats allowed rats (the real carriers) to multiply! |
| Street cleaning | Bonfires lit, streets cleaned, some drainage improved. | Little effect on fleas on rats |
| Pest houses | Isolation hospitals built outside city walls. | Helped somewhat but capacity was limited |