Week Eleven: Informational books: An American Plague

An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy (Cover image from Amazon.com)

Bibliography: Murphy, J. (2003). An American plague: The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0395776087

SUMMARY
In 1793, thousands of people died in Philadelphia from yellow fever. This book gives an in-depth historical account of the events leading up to the outbreak, the medical practices of the time, the government's response to the epidemic and the day-by-day conditions that paralyzed a city, decimated a population and enlightened a generation about the nature of disease, sanitation and human behavior.

MY IMPRESSIONS
I couldn't put this book down. Murphy creates an interesting, detailed and sometimes gruesome account of the yellow fever outbreak from Saturday August 3, 1793 to January 8, 1794, as well as the lasting effects on public policy, medicine, sanitation and race relations that came from this time period. He uses journals, newspapers, artwork and testimonials to interweave the lives of the people in Philadelphia with the effects of the yellow fever outbreak. I had no idea how horrible the conditions were in the city, how disgusting it was to have yellow fever and the dire circumstances that befell the city during the worst parts of the epidemic. (I still can't believe that amidst the death, fear, chaos and disease in 1793, a meteorite hit downtown Philadelphia!!) Murphy's research includes so many topics--the leaders in the city's government and their inability to effectively handle the outbreak after most of the city had fled in a panic, the ignorance of how yellow fever was contracted or cured, the role of the African American population in caring for the ailing citizens and the sheer number of people who died as a result of this disease. At any given point in the story, I felt as if I were walking down the streets of Philadelphia and really experiencing the tragedy as it unfolded. This book truly brings history to life and will capture the attention and imagination of readers.

ACTIVITIES
This book would be appropriate for a discussion with grades 6 to 12 and would pair really well with Fever 1793 or Murphy's other book, The Great Fire.

Choose another epidemic (AIDS, black plague, H1N1, Influenza) and compare it to the yellow fever outbreak in 1793. How did the government or public health organizations respond? How did the understanding of the disease change after the outbreak? How many people were killed or affected by the disease? What are the symptoms, treatments and/or cures for the diseases?

How does yellow fever compare to malaria? Write a report on the differences between the two and how the world is trying to combat the spread of these diseases.

Write a short story using 1793 Philadelphia as the setting. Describe the person's life, characteristics and conflict as they relate to the yellow fever outbreak.

Create a board game using the map of Philadelphia in the front of An American Plague. Use the characters, locations and historical information contained in the book.

2004 Newbery Honor Book
2004 Notable Children's Books
2004 Best Books for Young Adults
2004 Silbert Medal Winner
2003 Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth

REVIEWS
"If surviving the first 20 years of a new nationhood weren't challenge enough, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, centering in Philadelphia, was a crisis of monumental proportions. Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories. An afterword explains the yellow fever phenomenon, its causes, and contemporary outbreaks, and source notes are extensive and interesting."
School Library Journal, October 1, 2004

"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 first-hand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy recreates the fear and panic in the infected city, the social conditions that caused the disease to spread, and the arguments about causes and cures."
Booklist, June 1, 2003