An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy

This book takes readers through the yellow fever epidemic from the beginning when nobody paid much attention to the talk of fever down by the river to the height of the epidemic in which hundreds of people were dying everyday to the end when frost finally released the city from sickness. Each chapter features a page from the Federal Gazette newspaper that shows the progression of the epidemic and the public response to it. Detailed information about the major players in this tragedy is provided (i.e. Dr. Benjamin Rush) as well as discussion concerning the political and social events surrounding this outbreak and special attention is paid to medical beliefs and practices in the 18th century.

A thorough sources section at the end of the book points to further reading on a variety of topics including: firsthand accounts, yellow fever in fiction and nonfiction, medical practices in the 18th century, Philadelphia then and after, George Washington, Blacks in Philadelphia, mosquitoes, and other plagues.

This book works well when paired with Fever, 1793. Due to the nature of this subject this text and/or the study of this topic would be suitable for readers in the 6th grade and up.

Genre: Nonfiction

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