Teaching European History through Disasters

All who have taught European History are well aware of the “over-arching disasters” that can be said to have changed the course of a single country’s history or even all of European history. Quite frequently, their significance is passed over as just another event with perhaps a glaring statistic or two to make a point. This presentation will emphasize the magnitude of these events and provide information and resources that will address the overall significance of each individually and all of them as a significant part of a bigger picture. These disasters include:

1.      Little Ice Age 1300-1850

2.      Black Death 1346-1353

3.      Great Plague and Fire in London 1665-1666

4.      Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755

5.      The Eruption of the Tambora Volcano from April 10-15, 1815 and “The Year Without a Summer”

6.      Potato Famine of Ireland 1845-1849 (“The Great Hunger”)