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Americ The Great Smallpox Epidemic Of 1775-82 By Elizabeth Fenn

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In the book, Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82 by Elizabeth Fenn (2001), depicts the casualty of one of the deadliest virus in mankind -- the smallpox during the American War of Independence and how it shaped the course of the war and the lives of everyone in the North America. Smallpox is a highly contagious disease caused by an Orthopoxvirus known as variola major virus. Spread by direct transmission, the disease produces high fever, headache, excruciating back pain, anxiety, general malaise, blindness at times, and the most distinctive of all, blistering rashes that can leave deep-pitted scars. Its spread could be attributed through human civilizations, voyaging, expansion of trade routes. The European colonizers brought …show more content…

During the Revolutionary war, it was believed that the British utilized the smallpox virus as a biological warfare to gain an edge in the succeeding battles against the American troops led by Gen. George Washington. The first ominous cases of smallpox had shown up in Boston and its outlying towns in 1774. Subsequently, the outbreaks of the disease had pressed Gen. Washington and his medical staff to make important policy decision regarding the control of the smallpox occurrence in their Continental Army. Gen. Washington, with his previous encounter with the disease itself, was extra cautious and diligent in his effort to prevent the smallpox in his Continental Army; he knew how it will undermine his men. Skeptic in the beginning, he finally ordered a mass inoculation for the American troops in 1777, but this was done under great secrecy, so the troops were isolated in camps and inoculated before they went to battle. As the revolution moves to the south, so did the havoc of smallpox especially amongst the Native Americans and African American slaves who never had any immunity from the

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The Fort Pitt account books clearly states that the British military paid for and sanctioned the handing out of infected objects. Records for June 1763 document the numbers for how many were given out. This handing out of infected objects was certified by Captain Simeon Ecuyer. These are only a few examples of the many accusations surrounding the Fort Pitt smallpox outbreak. 2.

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In “The Letterbook of Eliza Lucas Pinckney 1739-1762,” she described how the settlers that were constantly insulted by the Indians and small pox rages as “ a great cloud over this province.” The impact of smallpox was awful. The small pox causes all business to stop on Charles Town making the economy go downhill. “....a violent kind of small pox rages in Charles Town that must puts a stop to all business.” (Doc E)

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They were still susceptible to the many diseases of the time. There were many epidemics in the antebellum period. Smallpox was one of these epidemics. It would have been much worse if they had not come up with a vaccine in the 1720s. Yellow fever was much worse than small pox.

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Smallpox was also a threat. One settler describes it as a “cloud over this province.” It drove off people and killed the people who stayed. It was also one of the major causes of the decline in the Native American population. There were definitely other kinds of diseases, but Smallpox was the most common.

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A virus that spread easily and could be deadly when not treated. In the Age of Exploration time period they didn’t have the technology like we have today to cure such a disease. In documents 2a-b the first part is a statement talking about how the Natives and Africans rarely got sick, its says “ There was no sickness; they had no aching bones; they had then no high fever; they had then no smallpox.” This is showing how before the Europeans all of the diseases and the sicknesses that came with them never occurred in the Natives life. In the document the second portion that follows says, “ There was great havoc.

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When the Europeans arrived in the country more than 50% of the Native Americans died. Most of the deaths were caused by smallpox and starvation. When they died from smallpox it decreased the number of people growing crops which then led on to starvation. The deaths of the Aztec and Incan broke out war, which causes the disease to spread even more.

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The experiences of the men and women of the First American Army reveal that they all had a rough time during the war, even the Commanding Generals of the army. One example was the major smallpox epidemic that hit. The pain and suffering of those afflicted with smallpox took a heavy toll on the clerical duties of ministers such as Reverend Robbins (Chadwick, 120). Robbins also said before the epidemic hit that he and the troops did not fear the British but the smallpox disease.

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We Americans now depend on most electronics to go about our lives. We use electronics to communicate, find information, socialize, and now to do homework. Back in the day before the United States were born people like Ben Franklin and others were creating these wonderful inventions to help easy the life of colonial people. The Middle Colonies needed a plow to fasten the process of farming crops. The virus smallpox started an epidemic and a vaccine would help lower the risk of people getting the disease.

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Diseases: Even though through the Columbian Exchange we were able to gain many great materials and much knowledge about the other people who occupy our planet, many diseases where transferred to the Native Americans. Native Americans had not had the chance to gain an immunity to the different diseases that the Europeans had already come in contact with. This caused major issues when death started to treat the Native Americans like a close friend. Arrival and Introduction: Christopher Columbus, a great discoverer and also a carrier of diseases not known to almost wipe out a race.

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