1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever Plague Study

The yellow fever epidemic broke out in Philadelphia in 1793.At that time,Philadelphia was the capital of the new nation.It was one of the most important ports as well as being the political,economic and cultural center.The plague lasted from late July to November.In these monthes,it paralyzed city functions,halted business and trade,and caused a breakdown in normal social life.More than 17000 people fled the city for safer environs.About 5000 died,and hundreds of children were orphaned.This paper attempts to use this plague as the starting point,to understand the Philadelphian communities in 1793 how to confront the infectious disease,in order to spy on the then Philadelphia social outlook and provide some inspiration for today’s cities how to deal with infectious diseases.In the 1790s,Philadelphia was the one of the largest cities in the U.S.Population-intensive,poor urban environment,unperfect sanitation provided conditions for mosquito breeding and the spread of infectious diseases.As an important port city,Philadelphia had maintained trade with the West Indies,and this engagement provided opportunities for the introduction of yellow fever.After an absence of 31 years,yellow fever again struck the city in 1793,one result of which is that most people lacked immunity;With the increase in poverty in Philadelphia,they were often more susceptible to the attack of the yellow fever plague for various reasons.In the colonial period,the Philadelphians had sprouted the initiative to take on the responsibility of urban affairs,this growing sense of ownership was also reflected during the plague.Once the yellow fever plague occurred,no one can be set aside.During the 1793 yellow fever epidemic,Philadelphia’s various communities which included black groups led by black ministers,Committee made up of ordinary citizens,a few government officials,doctors,newspapers worked together to respond the crisis.During the plague,the role of the government is relatively absent,private citizens played key roles in saving patients.Because modern medical knowledge about the yellow fever’s prevalence,prevention and treatment had not been found,medical communities argued over the origin and contagious nature and the most effective treatment.There division seriously damaged its professional image.Once plagues occurred,human society will inevitably pay a heavy price.After the plague,humans will certainly re-examine,interpret the plague,trying to get some inspiration.The painful price derived from the plague will also lead to further reforms.The yellow fever epidemics in Philadelphia from the year of 1793 strengthened all levels of government:local,state,and federal,they also sealed the political fate of the city as both a state and federal capital.Yellow fever epidemics triggered a discussion on the causes of the plague,Some people thought that this was the problem of the city itself,so they rejected the establishment of large cities;others coupled the epidemics with moral decay.The epidemics also highlighted the problems of race in Philadelphia.