What Role Did Yellow Fever Play In Shaping America?
Yellow fever is arguably one of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases, infecting 200,000 and killing 30,000 each year since the seventeenth century. While 90% of cases occur in Africa, the disease has made its way into the western hemisphere through the slave trade. As seen in the Molly Caldwell Crosby’s book The American Plague, yellow fever played an incredible role in shaping America. In the broader context of American history, the arrival of yellow fever shows the negative repercussions that come with developments in migration, transportation, and politics.
Of course, a primary reason yellow fever made its way to America was due to migration of Europeans and the importation of African slaves. The disease had its origins in Nigeria, …show more content…
The first epidemic on this side of the world occurred in 1648…As each slave ship arrived into the ports of the New World, bringing over ten million slaves to this hemisphere, yellow fever made a giant, evolutionary leap. (Location 221)
This helps to explain the changes seen in American history when European contact began. This is a specific example of the first interaction between two areas, and how their societies would begin to mold together. Unfortunately, this means that yellow fever would have to come along to America. The entrance of slaves would shape American society, but the disease that they brought with them would cause …show more content…
During the initial outbreak, many major political figures were affected:
The U.S. Capital would move from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, after a devastating yellow fever epidemic in 1793. Alexander Hamilton suffered the fever, while George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson fled the city; the United States government was paralyzed. (Location 236)
Yellow fever affected everyone during its appearance in America, and its impact is shown through moving the capital city to avoid the Founding Fathers getting sick. This was something they likely did not know how to respond to, even in its future appearances in America in 1878. There were delays in Congress in passing acts to help support the medical efforts:
On April 29, 1878, Congress had finally passed the Quarantine Act granting the Marine Hospital Service quarantine rights along port cites. If local governments could not be depended upon to enforce quarantine, the military could. The law, however, was a weak one and would take several months to go into effect. For the Mississippi Valley and beyond, the delay would prove to be disastrous. (Location
Of course, a primary reason yellow fever made its way to America was due to migration of Europeans and the importation of African slaves. The disease had its origins in Nigeria, …show more content…
The first epidemic on this side of the world occurred in 1648…As each slave ship arrived into the ports of the New World, bringing over ten million slaves to this hemisphere, yellow fever made a giant, evolutionary leap. (Location 221)
This helps to explain the changes seen in American history when European contact began. This is a specific example of the first interaction between two areas, and how their societies would begin to mold together. Unfortunately, this means that yellow fever would have to come along to America. The entrance of slaves would shape American society, but the disease that they brought with them would cause …show more content…
During the initial outbreak, many major political figures were affected:
The U.S. Capital would move from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, after a devastating yellow fever epidemic in 1793. Alexander Hamilton suffered the fever, while George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson fled the city; the United States government was paralyzed. (Location 236)
Yellow fever affected everyone during its appearance in America, and its impact is shown through moving the capital city to avoid the Founding Fathers getting sick. This was something they likely did not know how to respond to, even in its future appearances in America in 1878. There were delays in Congress in passing acts to help support the medical efforts:
On April 29, 1878, Congress had finally passed the Quarantine Act granting the Marine Hospital Service quarantine rights along port cites. If local governments could not be depended upon to enforce quarantine, the military could. The law, however, was a weak one and would take several months to go into effect. For the Mississippi Valley and beyond, the delay would prove to be disastrous. (Location