Powerful and riveting, this Newbery Honor-winning narrative describes the illness known as yellow fever, the toll it took on the nation's capital--and the eventual triumph over the disease.

Long before Covid and the West Nile virus, yellow fever was a medical mystery that forced thousands in Philadelphia, the nation's temporary capital, to flee and brought the workings of the federal government to a virtual halt. A riveting account of this country's first large-scale medical epidemic, An American Plague is generously illustrated with archival prints and photographs and includes a bibliography, map, and index.

This is the story of how half the city's residents fled and half of those who remained died; neighboring towns, cities and states barricaded themselves; George Washington himself fled, setting off a constitutional crisis; and bloodletting caused blood to run through the streets. It is also the story of a little known chapter in Black history in which free Blacks nursed the sick only to be later condemned for their heroic efforts.

Meticulously researched, first-hand accounts, newspaper clippings, death lists, and period engravings recreate the fear and panic while exploring the political, social, cultural, medical and scientific history of the times. A final chapter explores the causes of the epidemic and provides a wake-up call about the potential for epidemics today.

Newbery Honor Book * National Book Award Finalist * Winner of the Sibert Medal

Formato	Tapa dura
Número de Páginas	176
Lenguaje	Inglés
Editorial	Clarion Books
Fecha de Publicación	2003-06-23
Dimensiones	9.76" x 7.28" x 0.71" pulgadas
Letra Grande	No
Con Ilustraciones	Si
Edad	10-12
Temas	Siglo 18, Medio Atlántico, Noreste de EE.UU., Pensilvania
Premios	Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards 2004 (Winner), James Madison Book 2004 (Winner), National Book Awards 2003 (Finalist), Newbery Medal 2004 (Honor Book), Orbis Pictus Award 2004 (Winner), Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award 2004 (Winner), Volunteer State Book Awards 2005 (Nominee), Young Hoosier Book Award 2007 (Nominee)

Murphy, Jim

Jim Murphy's nonfiction books have received numerous awards, among them two Newbery Honors, the Sibert Medal, three Orbis Pictus awards, the Margaret A. Edwards award, the James Madison Book Award, and a National Book Award nomination. Born and raised in New Jersey, Jim lives in Maplewood, NJ, with his family.
jimmurphybooks.com.