# American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 - Hardcover

by **Jim Murphy** (Author)

**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_

**Number of Pages:** 176

**Dimensions:** 0.71 x 9.76 x 7.28 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** June 23, 2003

**Award:** National Book Awards (2003)

**Award:** Newbery Medal (2004)

**Award:** Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award (2004)

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

**Interest Level:** Upper Grades, 9-12

**Reading Level:** 9

**Point Value:** 6

## Details

- **Price:** 21.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 21.99 USD | In stock |

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- American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 - Hardcover

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