The subtitle of this book is “The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82”. Fenn describes how smallpox impacted the American Revolution. Since smallpox has been eradicated since 1980, and there has not been an outbreak in the US since 1947, we forget how much of an impact an epidemic can have on a population. At least, we did until 2020. And smallpox could be much more deadly than other contagious diseases, especially in a population that had not experienced it before. Because if you survived it once, you were immune for life. While the British soldiers, for the most part, had immunity, most of the Continental troops did not.
There were questions about whether to inoculate soldiers, or to quarantine them. Both strategies had benefits and shortcomings. The inoculations of the time were not like vaccinations today. Basically, you gave the patient a (hopefully) milder version of the disease, which meant that the person would still be contagious. However, if the patient was relatively healthy, they were more likely to survive, and then have immunity. And it was easier to quarantine people you knew were going to get the disease. However, that also meant that a portion of your troops were “not fit for duty” for a period of time. And if the British were aware of this, well, that would not be good thing.
While people who studied the Revolution have been aware of the impact of small pox on the soldiers, less attention has been paid to where else the disease went. According to Fenn, it impacted most of North America, and may have extended to Central and possibly even South America as well. She traces the route of the infection, relying on various resources. For example, in Mexico and the areas with Missions, she looks at the number of internments. The rate increases precipitously when smallpox goes through the population. The disease also had a huge impact on Native populations. While there is little direct evidence, Fenn finds various sources of information to show the devastation smallpox left in its wake.
If this was your family, how would you research them? Check the routes Fenn describes for the path of the epidemic. Where were your ancestors during those years? If you had an ancestor or other family member serving in the war, and they died, do you know what they died of? If your ancestors were in the Southwest, or in Canada, they might have been impacted as well. Actually, no matter where they were in the New World, they would have been aware of this epidemic. They would not have known the extent of the spread of the disease, but they would have been aware of the local impact.