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. Over 5,000 residents of philadelphia died in 1793 from the great epidemic of 1793. Powell, details the horrors of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic that descended on philadelphia, as well as providing fascinating insights into. It was an urgent call to clear homes of the deceased as the plague swept through cities both in europe in america. Once bitten by an infected female mosquito, the symptoms begin within 3 to 6 days. Oct 08, 2019 the death toll from a yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia hits 100 on october 11, 1793.
This shocking statistic reveals that it is one of the most deadly epidemics in u. Yellow fever, acute infectious disease characterized by fever, headache, backache, nausea, and vomiting. This is a popular classroom book to begin a unit on yellow fever. Yellow fever attacks philadelphia, 1793 eyewitness to history.
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. Volunteers collected the dead and dying from yellow fever. Around 17,000 of the citys 45,000 population left for the countryside, while an estimated 5,000 died as a. 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. Yellow fever definition yellow fever, which is also known as sylvatic fever and viral hemorrhagic fever or vhf, is a severe infectious disease caused by a type of virus called a flavivirus. Printz honor book, and an ala best book for young adults, as well as several. In this psychological portrait of a city in terror, j. This flavivirus can cause outbreaks of epidemic proportions throughout africa and tropical america. Its an extreme scenario, and in order to respond to it, matilda has to grow up very, very quickly. Philadelphias ravenous mosquitoes provided the perfect vehicle for spreading the disease by first. Readers encounter the harrowing experience of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic. In fact, growing up becomes a matter of life and death. In a mixed atmosphere of mistrust, fear, and caring. Yellow fever resource page historical society of pennsylvania.
Students examine the effects of the yellow fever outbreak in philadelphia in 1793, then gather information on yellow fever prevention and treatment today. Yellow fever is caused by yellow fever virus, an enveloped rna virus 4050 nm in width, the type species and namesake of the family flaviviridae. Matties mother and grandfather own a coffeehouse in philadelphia and that is where mattie spends most of her days. One of those people affected by the fever is mattie cook.
Print a copy of the fever 1793 literature circle questions printable for each student. The death toll from a yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia hits 100 on october 11, 1793. The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 symptoms and effects. Learn more about its transmission, treatment, and history. Yellow fever can be contained to certain areas within a country in many countries where yellow fever is endemic, large areas of the country can have extremely low essentially zero risk. The epidemic literally decimated the population of. Benjamin rush, a prominent philadelphia physician and signer of the declaration of independence, split from many of his medical peers over the suspected. Though many cases of yellow fever are mild and selflimiting, yellow fever can also be a lifethreatening disease causing hemorrhagic. I didnt learn a whole lot in an american plague that was new news. Yellow fever in the year 1793, yellow fever was a dreaded disease. You see the sights of the ravished market,docks, and shops, smell the stench of the dead and dying, feel the despair of those waiting and watching and struggle right along with mattie as she copes with the loss of her grandfather, the fear that her missing. What are some historical facts mentioned in fever 1793.
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 yellow fever epidemic. When yellow fever starts claiming lives in philadelphia, will mattie and her family. To this day there is no cure for yellow fever, because its a viral disease. The virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. You see the sights of the ravished market,docks, and shops, smell the stench of the dead and dying, feel the despair of those waiting and watching and struggle right along with mattie as she copes with the loss of her grandfather, the fear that her missing mother may be. During the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in philadelphia, sixteenyearold matilda cook gains new strengths. Simon and schuster books for young readers published andersons novel fever 1793 in 2000, an historical novel set in philadelphia during the postrevolutionary war. An account of the bilious remitting yellow fever, as it appeared in the city of philadelphia, in the year 1793, benjamin rush, philadelphia, 1794 courtesy national library of medicine dr. The yellow fever epidemic the fever took a devastating toll on the city as nearly 5,000 individuals died, among them close to 400 african americans. Powell presents a penetrating study of human nature revealing itself.
Laurie halse anderson began work on fever 1793 in 1993 after she came across an article in her local newspaper commemorating the epidemic that had devastated philadelphia two centuries before. Jan 08, 2020 frankly, the novel, fever 1793, by laurie anderson, is a much better history of the 1793 philadelphia yellow fever epidemic. Yellow fever is an acute viral infectious disease transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Lets take a look at matildas development over the course of yellow fever outbreak. This novel takes place during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in philadelphia, an actual historical event. Yellow fever is a viral disease that is spread by mosquitos and has the potential to cause yellowing of the skin due to liver damage. With medical science seemingly powerless against it, yellow fever was a terrifying. The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 by jim murphy. See more ideas about yellow fever, 7th grade ela and historical fiction. Understanding the historical context will help with our first book, fever, 1793 by laurie halseanderson. As we summarize andersons book, well highlight some of the important characters. I got considerably more factual detail out of that book. Laurie halse andersons fever, 1793 is a novel about a fourteenyearold girl named. Fever, 1793 brings the sorrowful time in philadelphia when yellow fever devastated the city, to life in a compelling manner.
Frankly, the novel, fever 1793, by laurie anderson, is a much better history of the 1793 philadelphia yellow fever epidemic. Politics of yellow fever in alexander hamiltons america, produced by the u. The yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas of africa and south america. It was an urgent call to clear homes of the deceased as the plague swept through cities. Jun 04, 20 this video contains a short summary of the book and the true history of the events. In 1793 a disastrous plague of yellow fever paralyzed philadelphia, killing thousands of residents and bringing the nations capital city to a standstill. See more ideas about fever 1793, fever, novel studies. Politics of yellow fever in alexander hamiltons america. In 1793, philadelphia, pennsylvania, then the nations capital, experienced the first major outbreak of yellow fever in the united states. Her body is changing, she cant stand the sound of her mothers voice, and she has a mega crush on a cute painter. In class 1, students explore the effects of yellow fever in philadelphia in 1793, beginning with two african american authors who lived through and wrote about the event. Bring out your dead did not originate as a monty python catchphrase.
Fever 1793 is based on the actual yellow fever epidemic that hit philadelphia and wiped out some five thousand people. For example, peru has yellow fever but its almost exclusively in the jungle areas east of the andes, dr. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains particularly in the. Illness ranges from a fever with aches and pains to severe liver disease with bleeding and yellowing skin jaundice. It is a historical novel about a 14 year old girl, matilda, trying to survive an outbreak of yellow fever. National library of medicine, provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the yellow fever outbreak in philadelphia in 1793. The skin and eyes may appear yellow, a condition known as jaundice, giving rise to the diseases popular name.
An epidemic of fever sweeps through the streets of 1793 philadelphia in this novel from laurie halse anderson where the plot rages like the epidemic itself the. Matilda will be coming of age during a crisis situation the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The yellow fever epidemic historical society of pennsylvania. With them, the caribbean refuges brought yellow fever.
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. There are more true historical facts in the book than what are in this video though, so dont use this as your. Fever 1793 is a work of historical fiction by laurie halse anderson concerning a widespread illness known as yellow fever spread by infected mosquitoes that many people in philadelphia. It leaves me wondering why the author bothered to write it. This test is designed to test your knowldege about the book fever 1793. Her title, speak, was named a 2000 printz honor book by the american library association and was a finalist for the 1999 national book award. Fever 1793 fever 1793 was written by laurie halse anderson, and first published in 2000. 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. We do not have exact numbers, but the best guesses place the death toll somewhere between 4,0005,000 people died of yellow fever in 1793 philadelphia. Though many cases of yellow fever are mild and selflimiting, yellow fever can also be a lifethreatening disease causing hemorrhagic fever and hepatitis hence the term yellow from the jaundice it can cause. Dead house on the schuylkill during the yellow fever in philadelphia in 1793, david johnson kennedy, watercolor, historical society of pennsylvania. Dead house on the schuylkill during the yellow fever in philadelphia in 1793, david. During the summer of 1793, mattie cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather.
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. Fever 1793, by laurie halse anderson, is about a young girl named matilda who lives in philadelphia and during the summer a lot of people are infected with yellow fever. One reason for this fear was that nobody knew where the disease originated. Yellow fever centers for disease control and prevention. The epidemic literally decimated the population of the city, killing 10% of its people. Also, the symptoms were so severe that being diagnosed with yellow fever was considered a death sentence. 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 question and answer section for fever 1793 is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The american plague the author draws on primary sources for this nonfiction book recommended by washington post columnist john kelly, evocatively describing the medical missteps and. In this lesson, students learn about laurie halse andersons book fever, 1793 and develop a project highlighting the yellow fever epidemic that terrorized. Mattie is, for the most part, just a normal teenager. In 2000, andersons fever 1793, a historical fiction novel set in philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic, was published by simon and schuster. It is a young adult historical fiction novel about the yellow fever epidemic.
A picture book, ndito runs, was a 1996 pick of the lists from the american booksellers association. Yellow fever, or american plague as it was known at the time. It was the first illness shown to be transmissible by filtered human serum and transmitted by mosquitoes, by walter reed around 1900. This video contains a short summary of the book and the true history of the events. The acclaimed author of speak, which was a national book award finalist, an ala michael l.