August 3, 1973 to October 28, 1973

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Thomas Jefferson, epidemic, Yellow Fever, Benjamin Rush

In 1793, Philadelphia was the site of the most fearsome epidemic to strike the young nation. By July, the city's inhabitants were remarking on the extraordinary number of flies and mosquitoes that swarmed around the dock area. Caribbean refugees brought Yellow Fever. In one epidemic alone, 5,000 residents — nearly one-tenth of the population — perished. Hardly a family was untouched. Many people...