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The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution
A timely and fascinating account of the raucous public demand for smallpox inoculation during the American Revolution and the origin of vaccination in the United States.
The Revolutionary War broke out during a smallpox epidemic, and in response, General George Washington ordered the inoculation of the Continental Army. But Washington did not have to convince fearful colonists to protect themselves against smallpox―they were the ones demanding it. In The Contagion of Liberty, Andrew M. Wehrman describes a revolution within a revolution, where the violent insistence for freedom from disease ultimately helped American colonists achieve independence from Great Britain.
Inoculation, a shocking procedure introduced to America by an enslaved African, became the most sought-after medical procedure of the eighteenth century. The difficulty lay in providing it to all Americans and not just the fortunate few. Across the colonies, poor Americans rioted for equal access to medicine, while cities and towns shut down for quarantines. In Marblehead, Massachusetts, sailors burned down an expensive private hospital just weeks after the Boston Tea Party.
This thought-provoking history offers a new dimension to our understanding of both the American Revolution and the origins of public health in the United States. The miraculous discovery of vaccination in the early 1800s posed new challenges that upended the revolutionaries' dream of disease eradication, and Wehrman reveals that the quintessentially American rejection of universal health care systems has deeper roots than previously known. During a time when some of the loudest voices in the United States are those clamoring against efforts to vaccinate, this richly documented book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of medicine and politics, or who has questioned government action (or lack thereof) during a pandemic.
The Revolutionary War broke out during a smallpox epidemic, and in response, General George Washington ordered the inoculation of the Continental Army. But Washington did not have to convince fearful colonists to protect themselves against smallpox―they were the ones demanding it. In The Contagion of Liberty, Andrew M. Wehrman describes a revolution within a revolution, where the violent insistence for freedom from disease ultimately helped American colonists achieve independence from Great Britain.
Inoculation, a shocking procedure introduced to America by an enslaved African, became the most sought-after medical procedure of the eighteenth century. The difficulty lay in providing it to all Americans and not just the fortunate few. Across the colonies, poor Americans rioted for equal access to medicine, while cities and towns shut down for quarantines. In Marblehead, Massachusetts, sailors burned down an expensive private hospital just weeks after the Boston Tea Party.
This thought-provoking history offers a new dimension to our understanding of both the American Revolution and the origins of public health in the United States. The miraculous discovery of vaccination in the early 1800s posed new challenges that upended the revolutionaries' dream of disease eradication, and Wehrman reveals that the quintessentially American rejection of universal health care systems has deeper roots than previously known. During a time when some of the loudest voices in the United States are those clamoring against efforts to vaccinate, this richly documented book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of medicine and politics, or who has questioned government action (or lack thereof) during a pandemic.
407 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2022
14 people are currently reading
716 people want to read
About the author
Andrew M. Wehrman
1 book3 followersAndrew Wehrman is professor of history at Central Michigan University. He received his B.A. and M.A.T. from the University of Arkansas, and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 14, 2023
“The Contagion of Liberty” is all about smallpox, the American Revolution, and inoculation (the predecessor of vaccines). It was a fascinating discussion about the politics surrounding inoculation during that time. It discusses what the various founding fathers and their spouses thought about or did about inoculation, how smallpox affected the Native Americans and the enslaved people of the south, and the differing approaches of the south versus the north to inoculation — and why. It was very interesting! I give the book 4 stars. The Audible narrator was flat and better suited for poetry. Two stars for him.
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April 6, 2024Personal review would be 1 star just because of how boring and hard it was to get through. But I couldn’t finish, made it about halfway. It was the same thing over and over. Small pox breaks out. People want to inoculate. People are against it. Goes through each town, same process. Some interesting parts though. Listened to this for book club and they made me maybe want to try again. I would for sure read it, not listen to it.
April 2, 2023
The Overlooked Enemy: How Smallpox Epidemics Shaped Revolutionary Era America
Fenn, Elizabeth A. Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82. 1st ed. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
Wehrman, Andrew M. The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022.
In their authoritative monographs, Elizabeth A. Fenn and Andrew M. Wehrman assert that assessing the disastrous impact of Smallpox epidemics is essential to understanding life in eighteenth-century America. Coincident with the Revolutionary War, from 1775 to 1783, large disease outbreaks occurred in the thirteen colonies and indigenous societies throughout North America. The two authors researched and interpreted the disease effects, including incidence, mortality, and impact on larger social, political, and economic development during America’s founding period. While the two books stand independently, Elizabeth Fenn provides a broad-based, continental view, including colonist and native populations stretching from Mexico to Canada. On the other hand, Andrew Wehrman focuses on smallpox’s effect on the British, Loyalists, and Rebels clash within the rebellious thirteen colonies.
One notable aspect of Pox Americana is its focus on the impact of the disease on Native American populations. Fenn devotes significant attention to how smallpox was introduced to and spread among indigenous communities and how it affected their cultures and ways of life. She describes that smallpox devasted Northwest Indians and other societies, with up to ninety percent or more of the people perishing due to the rampant epidemic. The utter destruction of indigenous communities is a unique perspective not as thoroughly covered in other books on smallpox. Another strength of Pox Americana is an overview of the medical or scientific aspects of the disease. She describes transmission, incubation, disease progression, and mortality estimates. In particular, she provides an informative chart depicting the thirty-two-day period of disease progression from first exposure to the final endpoint (recovery or death).
In his new book The Contagion of Liberty, Andrew M. Wehrman argues that smallpox epidemics rivaled anti-British angst in Revolutionary America and that understanding the devastating impact of smallpox outbreaks is equally important as studying the Revolutionary War battles. Additionally, he describes the controversies over local community inoculation and disease management, which subsumed interest in the broader anti-British contest during specific periods of intense smallpox epidemics in many towns and areas. Wehrman describes that many colonial societies viewed inoculation through economic class distinctions as, many times, only the wealthiest members could afford the physician charges and a month-long quarantine period without income.
One of the most interesting passages is General George Washington’s metamorphosis from an opponent to a proponent of inoculating the Continental Army within a few short months. The British needed no transition in thinking as their officers routinely required smallpox inoculations. Wehrman believes that inoculating the Rebel soldiers played a significant role in sustaining the Patriot cause. As a result, the 1775-76\\ smallpox-infected Canadian invasion failures did not repeat. While Washington benefited from a healthier army, failing to inoculate enslaved Americans resulted in thousands of unnecessary deaths. Additionally, there were no public health initiatives to inoculate Native Americans, who perished by the tens of thousands.
Fenn’s and Wehrman’s monographs are scholarly written and supported but readable by the general public. One of the best attributes of the Central Michigan University professor’s work is that he recognized building upon the work pioneered by Elizabeth Fenn and prominently acknowledged her “invaluable review (333).”
I strongly recommend both books to those interested in learning more about the societies in which the American Revolution occurred. Readers interested in the broad impact of smallpox on North American populations will enjoy Pox Americana. Alternatively, those more focused on the Revolutionary War participants will benefit more from The Contagion of Liberty.
Fenn, Elizabeth A. Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82. 1st ed. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001.
Wehrman, Andrew M. The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022.
In their authoritative monographs, Elizabeth A. Fenn and Andrew M. Wehrman assert that assessing the disastrous impact of Smallpox epidemics is essential to understanding life in eighteenth-century America. Coincident with the Revolutionary War, from 1775 to 1783, large disease outbreaks occurred in the thirteen colonies and indigenous societies throughout North America. The two authors researched and interpreted the disease effects, including incidence, mortality, and impact on larger social, political, and economic development during America’s founding period. While the two books stand independently, Elizabeth Fenn provides a broad-based, continental view, including colonist and native populations stretching from Mexico to Canada. On the other hand, Andrew Wehrman focuses on smallpox’s effect on the British, Loyalists, and Rebels clash within the rebellious thirteen colonies.
One notable aspect of Pox Americana is its focus on the impact of the disease on Native American populations. Fenn devotes significant attention to how smallpox was introduced to and spread among indigenous communities and how it affected their cultures and ways of life. She describes that smallpox devasted Northwest Indians and other societies, with up to ninety percent or more of the people perishing due to the rampant epidemic. The utter destruction of indigenous communities is a unique perspective not as thoroughly covered in other books on smallpox. Another strength of Pox Americana is an overview of the medical or scientific aspects of the disease. She describes transmission, incubation, disease progression, and mortality estimates. In particular, she provides an informative chart depicting the thirty-two-day period of disease progression from first exposure to the final endpoint (recovery or death).
In his new book The Contagion of Liberty, Andrew M. Wehrman argues that smallpox epidemics rivaled anti-British angst in Revolutionary America and that understanding the devastating impact of smallpox outbreaks is equally important as studying the Revolutionary War battles. Additionally, he describes the controversies over local community inoculation and disease management, which subsumed interest in the broader anti-British contest during specific periods of intense smallpox epidemics in many towns and areas. Wehrman describes that many colonial societies viewed inoculation through economic class distinctions as, many times, only the wealthiest members could afford the physician charges and a month-long quarantine period without income.
One of the most interesting passages is General George Washington’s metamorphosis from an opponent to a proponent of inoculating the Continental Army within a few short months. The British needed no transition in thinking as their officers routinely required smallpox inoculations. Wehrman believes that inoculating the Rebel soldiers played a significant role in sustaining the Patriot cause. As a result, the 1775-76\\ smallpox-infected Canadian invasion failures did not repeat. While Washington benefited from a healthier army, failing to inoculate enslaved Americans resulted in thousands of unnecessary deaths. Additionally, there were no public health initiatives to inoculate Native Americans, who perished by the tens of thousands.
Fenn’s and Wehrman’s monographs are scholarly written and supported but readable by the general public. One of the best attributes of the Central Michigan University professor’s work is that he recognized building upon the work pioneered by Elizabeth Fenn and prominently acknowledged her “invaluable review (333).”
I strongly recommend both books to those interested in learning more about the societies in which the American Revolution occurred. Readers interested in the broad impact of smallpox on North American populations will enjoy Pox Americana. Alternatively, those more focused on the Revolutionary War participants will benefit more from The Contagion of Liberty.
February 2, 2025
A really masterful and scholarly account of how deeply intertwined were the struggles against smallpox and for American independence, and the degree to which innoculation was viewed with skepticism because it protected the innoculated individual but put the community as risk, and later vaccination was seen as a necessity because it protected the community - which was often seen as good reason to make it mandatory. At the time the book was completely, during the global Covid-19 pandemic, many Americans resisted vaccination on the basis of junk science and empty appeals to "personal liberty" - empty because personal liberty that puts the community at such terrible risk is not valid. Some conservatives were appalled that the U.S. military was required to vaccinate - apparently unware the George Washington himself ended up requiring innoculation of the Revoltionary War soldiers. So a timely and fascinating book!
July 11, 2023
Continues to propagate the American myth that the revolution was about taxes. While it is true that the British levied taxes to pay for the French and Indian War, it is the Proclamation of 1763 that most annoyed English colonists, particularly the bit about no settlement beyond the Appalachians without a written agreement between the Crown and the indigenous peoples. But this had all been stewing for a decade before the revolution...
In 1772, the Somerset decision declared that no man could be a slave in England: black people celebrated in the streets with dancing and picnics. I will leave to your imagination the expression on the faces of the merchants and captains involved in the transatlantic triangle trade route. One problem remained and that was: abolitionism was prominent in the northern colonies...
In 1772, the Somerset decision declared that no man could be a slave in England: black people celebrated in the streets with dancing and picnics. I will leave to your imagination the expression on the faces of the merchants and captains involved in the transatlantic triangle trade route. One problem remained and that was: abolitionism was prominent in the northern colonies...
November 30, 2023
3.5
so interesting - the medical advancements, the impact of inoculation on the revolutionary war, the nuances of why people opposed it (sometimes ignorance, sometimes to protect the community from irresponsible practices, etc).
I loved that the author took the time to point out that George Washington changed his mind on smallpox inoculation and that that was just as important and impactful as his bold move to inoculate the whole army. He also mentioned that many other biographies have credited him for that, but failed to mention that he was previously opposed to inoculation - not as a strike against him for initially being wrong, but as a mark in his favor to be willing to change his mind, change his position on such a politically charged subject, and the example that set - still sets today. Loved it.
so interesting - the medical advancements, the impact of inoculation on the revolutionary war, the nuances of why people opposed it (sometimes ignorance, sometimes to protect the community from irresponsible practices, etc).
I loved that the author took the time to point out that George Washington changed his mind on smallpox inoculation and that that was just as important and impactful as his bold move to inoculate the whole army. He also mentioned that many other biographies have credited him for that, but failed to mention that he was previously opposed to inoculation - not as a strike against him for initially being wrong, but as a mark in his favor to be willing to change his mind, change his position on such a politically charged subject, and the example that set - still sets today. Loved it.
November 16, 2024
The politics of smallpox in the American Revolution. Not an exciting read. Lots of unnecessary information, lots of statistics of each town in and around Boston. Lots of anecdotes about people who were or were not inoculated. Much of this book aims to debunk the story that George Washington single-handedly saved America by innoculating the troops. It's so much more complicated. Interesting to read but a bit of a slog.
October 4, 2023
Super interesting. The ethical and political questions around smallpox inoculation both parallel today's struggle to establish widespread vaccination and also carry much more complexity in their trade-off between individual and public health. Very cool to see the connections made between this issue and the revolution as a whole.
July 28, 2023
This book tells the story of smallpox from pre-revolutionary colonies to post. And how it shaped the American experiment.
August 2, 2023
Heard about his book through a podcast where he was interviewed. It wasn't really what he described so I listened under false pretenses. The story was still interesting but just not what I expected
August 18, 2024
Such a great written history of small pox, the American revolution, and the politics of both! Must enjoy medical history because it can get very dry, but exciting for some of us strange ones :)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews