An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
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Book Overview
Powerful and riveting, this Newbery Honor-winning narrative describes the illness known as yellow fever, the toll it took on the nation's capital--and the eventual triumph over the disease.
Long before Covid and the West Nile virus, yellow fever was a medical mystery that forced thousands in Philadelphia, the nation's temporary capital, to flee and brought the workings of the federal government to a virtual halt. A riveting account of this country's first large-scale medical epidemic, An American Plague is generously illustrated with archival prints and photographs and includes a bibliography, map, and index.
This is the story of how half the city's residents fled and half of those who remained died; neighboring towns, cities and states barricaded themselves; George Washington himself fled, setting off a constitutional crisis; and bloodletting caused blood to run through the streets. It is also the story of a little known chapter in Black history in which free Blacks nursed the sick only to be later condemned for their heroic efforts.
Meticulously researched, first-hand accounts, newspaper clippings, death lists, and period engravings recreate the fear and panic while exploring the political, social, cultural, medical and scientific history of the times. A final chapter explores the causes of the epidemic and provides a wake-up call about the potential for epidemics today.
Newbery Honor Book * National Book Award Finalist * Winner of the Sibert Medal
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Customer Reviews
Rated 5 starsRiveting and Terrifying History
This dramatic account of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 is riveting. It is packed with historical facts and presents the horror of the disease, the implications for the city of Philadelphia and neighboring areas, and the reaction of both the townspeople as well as those in power with vivid detail. Politicians, the medical community, common people, orphans, the poor are all brought to life before our eyes and we feel their...
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Rated 5 starsexcellent narrative of a pivotal public health disaster in US history
Murphy tells a captivating story about Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in this young adult tome. First, he provides a compelling narrative of the epidemic itself, replete with first-hand accounts of witnesses. Then, he tells us something of what happened in Philadelphia after this particular epidemic, illuminating the important impacts this event had on such diverse aspects of life as a public water system and...
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Rated 5 starsThe life and crimes of Amos Quito
It is an indisputable fact that disasters are a lot more fun to read about than they are to live through. Sure, we might enjoy flipping through a tale covering the potato famine or the crash of the Hindenburg, but would you really want to experience them first hand yourself? Not likely. Author Jim Murphy has always been particularly talented at writing about the disaster genre. His "The Great Fire" is one of the finest...
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Rated 5 starsShining example of nonfiction for young people
Jim Murphy's award winning book is a wonderful example of literary nonfiction for young people that's every bit as compelling and well-researched as that for adults. Other recent noteworthy books are Candace Fleming's innovative Ben Franklin's Almanac, Russell Freedman's In Defense of Liberty, and Deborah Hopkinson's fascinating book on immigrants in New York City, SHUTTING OUT THE SKY.
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Rated 5 starsExtraordinary History Has Relevance for Today
This is extraordinary history about an extraordinary time and a little known chapter in American History -- America's first medical epidemic. Half of Philadelphia (temporary capital of US) fled, 5000 died, streets ran with blood from all the bloodletting and free blacks were left to nurse the dying and were then despised for their efforts. (This is astounding history I knew nothing about: George Washington's fleeing Philadelphia...
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