American Plague (eBook)

The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

Jim Murphy (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2020 | 1. Auflage
188 Seiten
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Verlag)
978-0-547-53285-1 (ISBN)

Infos

1793, Philadelphia. The nation's capital and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown . . .
In a powerful, dramatic narrative, critically acclaimed author Jim Murphy describes the illness known as yellow fever and the toll it took on the city's residents, relating the epidemic to the major social and political events of the day and to 18th-century medical beliefs and practices. Drawing on first-hand accounts, Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia's free blacks in combating the disease, and the Constitutional crisis that President Washington faced when he was forced to leave the city—and all his papers—while escaping the deadly contagion. The search for the fever's causes and cure, not found for more than a century afterward, provides a suspenseful counterpoint to this riveting true story of a city under siege.
An American Plague's numerous awards include a Sibert Medal, a Newbery Honor, and designation as a National Book Award Finalist. Thoroughly researched, generously illustrated with fascinating archival prints, and unflinching in its discussion of medical details, this book offers a glimpse into the conditions of American cities at the time of our nation's birth while drawing timely parallels to modern-day epidemics. Bibliography, map, index.

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National Book Award Finalist: An account of the disease that ravaged eighteenth-century Philadelphia, written and illustrated for young readers. 1793, Philadelphia: The nation's capital and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown This dramatic narrative describes the illness known as yellow fever and the toll it took on the city's residents, relating the epidemic to the social and political events of the day and eighteenth-century medical beliefs and practices. Drawing on first-hand accounts, Jim Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia's free blacks in combating the disease, and the Constitutional crisis President Washington faced when he was forced to leave the city and all his papers to escape the deadly contagion. The search for the fever's causes and cure provides a suspenseful counterpoint to this riveting true story of a city under siege. Winner of multiple awards, this thoroughly researched book offers a look at the conditions of cities at the time of our nation's birth, and draws timely parallels to modern-day epidemics. "e;A lavishly illustrated book, containing maps, newspaper columns and period illustrations unflinchingly presents the horrors of the event as well as its heroes."e; The New York Times "e;Pair this work with Laurie Halse Anderson's wonderful novel Fever 1793 and you'll have students hooked on history."e; School Library Journal "e;History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago."e; Booklist

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 11.6.2020
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie
• Themenwelt: Kinder- / Jugendbuch ► Sachbücher ► Geschichte / Politik
• Themenwelt: Kinder- / Jugendbuch ► Sachbücher ► Körper / Sexualität
• Themenwelt: Kinder- / Jugendbuch ► Sachbücher ► Naturwissenschaft / Technik
• Themenwelt: Kinder- / Jugendbuch ► Sachbücher ► Religion / Philosophie / Psychologie
• Themenwelt: Schulbuch / Wörterbuch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Psychologie
• ISBN-10: 0-547-53285-7 / 0547532857
• ISBN-13: 978-0-547-53285-1 / 9780547532851