When the word \"plague\" comes up in conversation, most people think of the bubonic plague, or Black Death, that swept through Europe, Africa, and Asia in the fourteenth century. This is not surprising, since the Black Death is the most fatal pandemic in recorded history. However, this infamous outbreak was neither the first nor the last major outbreak of the bubonic plague. In fact, the last major occurrence of the bubonic plague in Western Europe occurred in Marseille, France in 1720. While researching this formative event in French history, I witnessed how the modern COVID-19 pandemic was addressed by medical and religious communities and governments worldwide. Their responses prompted me to wonder how these same institutions approached the much more centralized plague outbreak in Marseille. Here, I analyze how doctors, the French monarchy, local officials, and religious leaders responded to the bubonic plague outbreak of 1720 while seeking to understand if and how their reactions have changed in three hundred years.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["Plague","Marseille","1720"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 24125