A Challenge to the Cause: Smallpox Inoculation in the Era of American Independence, 1764-1781

Date

2014-05

Authors

Weir, Jeffrey Michael

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Abstract

This dissertation examines how smallpox inoculation helped shape the character of the American Revolution from the first rumblings of colonial discontent in 1764 until the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. First used in the colonies in 1721, inoculation was a life-saving but controversial procedure. Although many historians have explored the effects of smallpox on the Revolutionary cause, few have explained the threats engendered by the use of inoculation itself on the patriot movement.

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Keywords

American history, History, Public health, American Revolution, Continental Army, Disease, Inoculation, Smallpox, Smallpox Inoculation

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