Module 11 – An American Plague by Jim Murphy

1. Citation - Murphy, Jim.
   An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. 2003. 176p. illus. Clarion, (0-395-77608-2).
   
2. Summary – This is the story of the 1793 outbreak of "Yellow Fever" and the trials of the city to try and get the contagion under control. The story is told from multiple perspectives – medical practitioners, personal accounts, and newspapers.
   
3. Impressions of the Book- This book was fascinating because it truly brings the reader to understand what life was like during the formative years of our country. It is hard to believe some of the medical practices that were considered normal, and the lack of understanding of basic concepts we now consider commonplace. Since this book includes accounts from all walks of life, it is an excellent example of how historical events can be exposed in an interesting format while dispelling myths that are often propagated through ignorance. (Even this year, I have had students say "All blacks were slaves back then".) There were free black Americans who played crucial roles as nursemaids during this crisis as well as grave diggers and other indispensable jobs. Despite the inequity, it helps to give kids a balanced and complete picture of what life was like. This book contains enough (but not too much) intriguing information (detailed medical accounts) that many students will want to read more.
   
4. Reviews - Rochman, Hazel. Booklist, 6/1/2003, Vol. 99 Issue 19/20, p1757, 1p; (AN 10252685)
   

   History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago. Drawing on firsthand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy re-creates the fear and panic in the infected city, the social conditions that caused the disease to spread, and the arguments about causes and cures. With archival prints, photos, contemporary newspaper facsimiles that include lists of the dead, and full, chatty source notes, he tells of those who fled and those who stayed—among them, the heroic group of free blacks who nursed the ill and were later vilified for their work. Some readers may skip the daily details of life in eighteenth-century Philadelphia; in fact, the most interesting chapters discuss what is now known of the tiny fever carrying mosquito and the problems created by over-zealous use of pesticides. The current struggle to contain the SARS epidemic brings the "unshakeable unease" chillingly close. —Hazel Rochman
   

   
    

5. Use in a library setting – In a middle school library, this would be a great book to suggest as part of a social studies unit on the American Revolution and the founding of our country.