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Restoration England 1660-1685Deep Dive

Social Impact of the Plague

Part of The Plague of 1665 — GCSE History

This deep dive covers Social Impact of the Plague 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 5 of 16 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 5 of 16

Practice

8 questions

Recall

4 flashcards

🔑 Social Impact of the Plague

  • Rich fled: King, court, most MPs, doctors, and lawyers moved to the countryside. Left the poor behind. Charles went to Oxford; Parliament moved to Oxford too.
  • Economy disrupted: Trade stopped, shops closed, no markets held. Many starved even if they didn't catch the plague. Unemployment soared in London.
  • Religious responses: Some saw it as God's punishment for the sinful court of Charles II. Increase in prayer, fasting, and religious services. Some Dissenting preachers gained followers in the crisis.
  • Social disorder: Some nurses and watchmen robbed dying patients. Bodies sometimes dumped in the street rather than plague pits. Looting of empty houses.
  • Samuel Pepys stayed: As Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board, Pepys could not flee. His diary provides the most detailed eyewitness account — he recorded 7,165 deaths in one week (September 1665).

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    Government ResponseWhy Were the Poor Hit Hardest?Setting the SceneWhat Caused the Plague?

    Practice Questions for The Plague of 1665

    What bacterium caused the bubonic plague that devastated London in 1665?

    • A. Yersinia pestis
    • B. Streptococcus pyogenes
    • C. Bacillus anthracis
    • D. Clostridium perfringens
    1 markfoundation

    Approximately how many people died in London during the Great Plague of 1665?

    • A. Around 25,000 (about 5% of London's population)
    • B. Around 100,000 (about 25% of London's population)
    • C. Around 250,000 (about 60% of London's population)
    • D. Around 500,000 (over 100% of London's population)
    1 markfoundation

    Quick Recall Flashcards

    What were buboes?
    Swollen, blackened lymph nodes (usually in groin, armpits, or neck) — the characteristic symptom of bubonic plague. The appearance of buboes triggered house quarantine. Death typically followed within 2-5 days; mortality without treatment was 60-70%.
    What was miasma theory?
    The dominant 17th-century belief that plague was caused by 'bad air' (miasma) from rotting matter. Led to useless responses: bonfires to purify air, posies of flowers, fumigation. The theory was completely wrong — plague was bacterial, spread by fleas on rats.

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    Why Were the Poor Hit Hardest?