The Fever of 1721 : The Epidemic That Revolutionized Medicine and American Politics (Hardcover)

from Stbalbach

The Fever of 1721 should be about the smallpox epidemic of 1721, and it is, but it also draws on other subjects such as freedom of the press when newspapers were just starting out, piracy, colonial politics with the crown, early biography of Ben Franklin and the printing press, Cotton Mather. It'...

from EllsbethB

This is a fascinating book about a pivotal smallpox epidemic in pre-Revolutionary Boston. It delves into this multi-faceted history, explaining the impact of this even on the development of immunizations, the freedom of the press and the 1st amendment, the lead up to the American Revolution, and ...

from la2bkk

Who would have thought? Set in colonial Boston in the early 1720s, the author weaves a fascinating account of how the small pox epidemic and inoculation controversy contributed to the growth of early newspapers as a medium for popular consumption. Throw in characters including Puritan minister Co...

from themulhern

A lively tale of the 1721 smallpox epidemic in Boston. During this epidemic Ben Franklin got his start as a newspaperman and Cotton Mather pursued the cause of science and becomes a member of the Royal Society. A useful reminder that Boston was an uppity pain to Great Britain a good 50 years befo...

from msaucier818

I really enjoyed this short book on early 18th century Boston. The title of the book is a bit deceiving as you would think the entire book is about the smallpox epidemic. While there is a great deal on the epidemic and the inoculation debate, a great deal of the book deals with the controversies ...