In 1793, philadelphia had a malaria outbreak that killed a large portion of the population and almost wiped out the town. On august 19, 1793, the first fatality of yellow fever, peter aston, became a topic of general conversation according to mathew carey, irishborn american publisher and first hand witness to the beginning of the plague. Yellow fever infection is diagnosed based on laboratory testing, a persons symptoms, and travel history. To fully comprehend the effect the yellow fever had on pennsylvania in 1793, it is necessary to understand disease itself. National library of medicine, provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the yellow fever outbreak in philadelphia in 1793. During the summer of 1793, mattie cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Laurie halse andersons fever, 1793 is a novel about a fourteenyearold girl named matilda mattie cook who comes of age during the infamous yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia in 1793. The book is both wellwritten and wellresearched, filled with details about the plague and its effect on all aspects of life in philadelphia starting in the. Interactive storytelling online and the history of philadelphias yellow fever outbreak, 1793 an interactive story in which the reader takes the place of a fictional doctor during philadelphias infamous yellow fever outbreak.
Fever 1793 by laurie halse anderson, an american plague. This book is based on a real epidemic of yellow fever that. One of those people affected by the fever is mattie cook. Almost immediately upon his return to the united states and his election as governor of new york, jay would have to deal with a deadly threat. Yellow fever centers for disease control and prevention. The book at the center of the new curriculum at fishtowns alexander adaire school is laurie halse andersons fever 1793.
Between august 1 and november 9, 1793, approximately 11,000 people contracted yellow fever in the us capital of philadelphia. To prevent the spread of yellow fever in nyc, action was taken to quarantine boats coming from philadelphia. Of that number, 5,000 people, 10 percent of the citys population, died. The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 by jim murphy at barnes. Encyclopedia of greater philadelphia fever 1793 novel. In 1793, philadelphia was struck with the worst outbreak of yellow fever ever recorded in north america. The last epidemic in the united states occurred in new orleans in 1905.
An epidemic occurs when there is a pathogen present in. What is the main conflict that leads to the climax. During the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia, 5,000 or more people were listed in the. Goats and soda an outbreak in angola and the democratic republic of. This outbreak was the largest reported in angola during the last 30 years. Yellow fever broke out in boston in 1693, philadelphia in 1793 and norfolk, virginia in 1855, but the worst american outbreak of yellow fever occurred in the mississippi river valley in 1878. Understanding the historical context will help with our first book, fever, 1793 by laurie halseanderson. The opening scene of andersons ambitious novel about the yellow fever epidemic that ravaged philadelphia in the late 18th century shows a hint of the gallows humor and insight of her previous novel. I love historical fiction and this book was very interesting in describing the 1793 yellow fever plague in philadelphia through the eyes of young 14 year old mattie cook. The death toll from a yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia hits 100 on october 11, 1793. During the summer of 1793, mattie cook lives above the family coffee shop. T he first yellow fever epidemic hit philadelphia in 1793, killing approximately 5,000 people. In response to the outbreak, centers for disease control and prevention cdc sent approximately 40 staff to angola to support the ministry of health with surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory diagnostics, case management, social mobilization, and. Fever 1793 is based on the actual yellow fever epidemic that hit philadelphia and wiped out some five thousand people.
Reports on the yellow fever epidemic, 1793 gilder lehrman institute. For free educational materials, visit our website at. The fever took a devastating toll on the city as nearly 5,000 individuals died, among them close to 400 african americans. Severe yellow fever epidemics afflict boston, new york city and philadelphia. The information provided in this research essay was found. Benjamin rush, who led the fight against the plague of yellow fever in philadelphia of 1793. An american plague was one of the finalists in the 2003 national book award. This asset contains classroom discussion questions. Published in 2000, fever 1793 is a young adult novel that tells the story of a 14yearold girl named mattie cook, who fights to survive the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in philadelphia.
The vast majority of them died of yellow fever, making the epidemic in the city of 50,000 people one of the most severe in united states history. The term yellow fever is first used by author griffin hughes in his book natural history of barbadoes. During the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia, 5,000 or more people were listed in the official register of deaths between august 1 and november 9. Fullscale panic erupted as hundreds of phildelphians, rich and poor, old and young, free and slave, died each day. The text follows 14yearold matilda as she struggles to keep her family coffeehouse in business and watches yellow fever wreak havoc on the city. Diagnosing and treating yellow fever in philadelphia, 1793. John jay and the yellow fever epidemics part 1 the. Philadelphias yellow fever epidemic of 1793 was the largest in the history of the united states, claiming the lives of nearly 4000 people. The yellow fever outbreak in 1793 affected most of the world with the deaths of many. Fever, 1793 is a ya historical novel by american author laurie halse anderson, published in 2000. An american plague retells the horrifying events of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in grisly detail. Yellow fever outbreak reportedly decimates english troops stationed at saintlouis, senegal. The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 179.
Travelers going to nigeria should receive vaccination against yellow fever at least 10 days before travel and should. It is an exciting portrayal of a somber event in our national history, which helped us better understand the full impact of this tragedy and disease. Matilda mattie cook is a fourteenyearold girl living above a coffeehouse in philadelphia with her mother, grandfather a former military man, a parrot named king george, and an orange cat named silas. The impact of yellow fever on philadelphia 1524 words. In 1793, philadelphia, pennsylvania, then the nations capital, experienced the first major outbreak of yellow fever in the united states. Yellow fever, or american plague as it was known at the time, is a viral disease that begins with fever and muscle pain. Book design by steve scott the text for this book is set in adobe caslon. Illness ranges from a fever with aches and pains to severe liver disease with bleeding and yellowing skin jaundice. New york has a yellow fever outbreak in 1858 the irish are blamed and quarantined. The yellow fever outbreak in philadelphia lasted from august into november 1793. I read this book with my daughter for her summer reading assignment. Yellow fever was one of the worst outbreaks in america s history.
This instance of widespread yellow fever in philadelphia is known as an epidemic. In december 2015, a yellow fever outbreak began in luanda, angola. Code switch some years the virus would wipe out a tenth of the population. Smith, professor of history at montana state university, makes a case that the principal vector of the 1793 plague in. How yellow fever turned new orleans into the city of the dead. The yellow fever epidemic historical society of pennsylvania. In 1793 philadelphia, sixteenyearold matilda cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and selfreliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a. Fever, 1793 is a novel by laurie halse anderson about a teenager who contracts the yellow fever during the epidemic in philadelphia in 1793. The yellow fever outbreak of 1793 1559 words bartleby.
A large, ongoing outbreak of yellow fever in nigeria began in september 2017. Current outbreak of yellow fever is a reminder of the diseases storied history. The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 newbery honor book 0046442776080. The first yellow fever outbreaks in the united states occurred in late 1690s. The online exhibition features graphic and textual primary sources with accompanying narratives, depicting how yellow fever, then without any known cause, affected the city and its citizens. A companion digital exhibit, malignant fever, curated by mandy cooper, provides more information about rush and includes additional resources for understanding the 1793 outbreak. Manufactured in the united states of america 26 28 30 29 27 the library of congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows. One reason for this fear was that nobody knew where the disease originated. Yellow fever first started when the refugees from the caribbean fled to philadelphia.
This combined with the dry, hot summer and low water tables of 1793 created the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes and the spread of yellow fever. Set in late colonial philadelphia and based on true events, the story follows fourteenyearold mattie cook as the city she lives in falls prey to a deadly outbreak of yellow fever. Current outbreak of yellow fever is a reminder of the. The pandemic that emerged so close to new york city nyc prompted the creation of the first board of health department. See more ideas about yellow fever, school folders and mystery of history. Around 17,000 of the citys 45,000 population left for the countryside, while an estimated 5,000 died as a result of the virus, which peaked in early october. By the end of september, 20,000 people had fled the city. Fever 1793 fever 1793 was written by laurie halse anderson, and first published in 2000. The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The disease would return to new york yearly throughout jays tenure, with epidemics in 1795, 1796, 1798, 1799, and 1800. Eliza, a free black woman, is the coffeehouse cook. Mattie is, for the most part, just a normal teenager.
Yellow fever in the year 1793, yellow fever was a dreaded disease. Nearly 100 years later, in the late summer of 1793, refugees from a yellow fever. The disease gets its name from the jaundiced eyes and skin of the victims. In late summer, as the number of deaths began to climb. He later wrote several books on his experience with yellow fever. Politics of yellow fever in alexander hamiltons america, produced by the u. Matties mother and grandfather own a coffeehouse in philadelphia and that is where mattie spends most of her days. It is a historical novel about a 14 year old girl, matilda, trying to survive an outbreak of yellow fever. At first, many residents believed it was simply a common autumnal illness.
Also, the symptoms were so severe that being diagnosed with yellow fever was considered a death sentence. Diagnosing and treating yellow fever in philadelphia, 1793 a bustling center of international trade and commerce that welcomed people, goods, and pathogens from around the world, philadelphians were wellacquainted with infectious disease prior to the 1793 outbreak. Over 5,000 residents of philadelphia died in 1793 from the great epidemic of 1793. Letter from benjamin rush to julia stockton rush describing the symptoms of yellow fever and noting that all common remedies have failed.