Question

between 30% and 60% of the population of europe was decimated in the mid-1300s by

a. an outbreak of small pox.
b. an epidemic of tuberculosis.
c. the bubonic plague.
d. the spanish flu.

Explanation:

Identify the historical event and timeframe

The question asks for the cause of the decimation of 30% to 60% of Europe's population in the mid-1300s (specifically between 1346 and 1353). Using Historical Evidence, we identify this period as the height of the Black Death.

Evaluate the given options

• Option A: Smallpox outbreaks occurred throughout history, but the major devastating smallpox epidemics in the Americas occurred later (1500s onward).
• Option B: Tuberculosis was a chronic disease rather than a sudden mid-1300s pandemic of this scale.
• Option C: The Bubonic Plague (caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis) is historically documented to have wiped out an estimated 30% to 60% of the European population during the mid-1300s.
• Option D: The Spanish Flu occurred much later, from 1918 to 1920.

Formulate the final conclusion

The Bubonic Plague is the correct historical match for the devastating pandemic of the mid-1300s in Europe.

Answer:

• (A) an outbreak of small pox.
• (B) an epidemic of tuberculosis.
• (C) the Bubonic Plague. (Correct answer)
• (D) the Spanish Flu.