Synopsis
Simon Schama continues his look at British history with the Black Death, the horror of medieval Britain. Those it did not kill were condemned to suffer decades of anarchy and unrest, not least King Richard II. But it created an unlikely breed of survivor - the country gent.
- Programme: A History of Britain by Simon Schama
- Series: 1
- Episode: 5: King Death
- Channel: BBC Two
- Broadcast year: 2000
- History
Licence: ERA Licence required
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
Add Notes
More clips from 05: King Death

Events of the Peasants Revolt | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Events of the Peasants Revolt | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama discusses the key events of the Peasants Revolt.

How Henry Bolingbroke seized the crown from Richard II | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
How Henry Bolingbroke seized the crown from Richard II | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama explain how Henry Bolingbroke seized the crown from Richard II.

How the Black Death changed social structure | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
How the Black Death changed social structure | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama explains how the Black Death changed Medieval social structures.

How the Lollard religion grew from the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
How the Lollard religion grew from the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama explains how the Lollard religion was developed from the Black Death.

Medieval treatment and beliefs on the cause of the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Medieval treatment and beliefs on the cause of the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama discusses the Medieval beliefs about what caused the Black...

The actions and consequences of the Merciless Parliament | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
The actions and consequences of the Merciless Parliament | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama discusses the consequences of the Merciless Parliament.

The rise of the Pastons | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
The rise of the Pastons | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama describes how the Pastons family rose from peasants to gentry and the problems that came with it.

The symptoms of Black Death and how it spread | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
The symptoms of Black Death and how it spread | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama discusses the black death, explaining it's symptoms and how it spread.

What caused the Peasants Revolt? | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
What caused the Peasants Revolt? | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama explains what caused the Peasants Revolt.
More resources about Medicine in medieval Britain

1: Black Death | World's Worst Century
1: Black Death | World's Worst Century
Was the 14th century the worst time in history to be alive? The population of Britain was ravaged by a plague that drove mankind to th...

1: Medicine, Religion and Natural Causes | History File
1: Medicine, Religion and Natural Causes | History File
This programme looks at ancient Egypt, Hippocrates, Christianity and Islam.

3: The Great Famine and the Black Death | Michael Wood's Story of England
3: The Great Famine and the Black Death | Michael Wood's Story of England
Michael Wood's portrait of one village across the whole of English history reaches the 14th century...

6: The Scientist | Colosseum
6: The Scientist | Colosseum
One of the most famous scientists of the ancient world, Galen of Pergamon, makes a name for himself as a doctor for gladiators in the arena.

Anglo-Saxon Britain | Learning Zone
Anglo-Saxon Britain | Learning Zone
One of the children is sick, and this is used as a means to explore the different approaches to medicine and medical care in Saxon times.

Black Death | Ken Follett's Journey Into the Dark Ages
Black Death | Ken Follett's Journey Into the Dark Ages
Ken Follett tells the story of the Black Death through the true stories of a monk in Winchester, a doctor in Florence ...

How the Black Death changed social structure | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
How the Black Death changed social structure | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama explains how the Black Death changed Medieval social structures.

How the Lollard religion grew from the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
How the Lollard religion grew from the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama explains how the Lollard religion was developed from the Black Death.

Medieval treatment and beliefs on the cause of the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Medieval treatment and beliefs on the cause of the Black Death | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama discusses the Medieval beliefs about what caused the Black...

The symptoms of Black Death and how it spread | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
The symptoms of Black Death and how it spread | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
Simon Schama discusses the black death, explaining it's symptoms and how it spread.
More from Simon Schama

S3E1: Forces of Nature | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
S3E1: Forces of Nature | A History of Britain by Simon Schama
The French Revolution sent shockwaves through Britain. While some watched transfixed, others were horrified. Si...

Simon Schama: The Road to Auschwitz
Simon Schama: The Road to Auschwitz
In the most personal and unflinching film of his career, historian Simon Schama confronts the Holocaust as not just a Nazi obsession but ...

Handmaid's history | Simon Schama Meets
Handmaid's history | Simon Schama Meets
Margaret Atwood describes how history is cyclical and contemporary leaders or movements are based on nostalgic whims of the past. ''T...

Art from concentration camps | Civilisations
Art from concentration camps | Civilisations
Simon Schama views the art that was made by children in concentration camps.

Judaism and Hellanism | The Story of the Jews
Judaism and Hellanism | The Story of the Jews
A look at how Jewish culture changed through the influence of Hellenic culture but eventually remained intact.

To His Mistress Going to Bed' | Simon Schama's John Donne
To His Mistress Going to Bed' | Simon Schama's John Donne
A reading and analysis of John Donne's poem 'To His Mistress Going to Bed'.

6: Van Gogh | Simon Schama's Power of Art
6: Van Gogh | Simon Schama's Power of Art
Simon Schama investigates what drove Van Gogh to paint Wheat Field with Crows.