The American Plague They Don’t Teach You About
One hot, mosquito-filled summer, less than a decade after the birth of the US, yellow fever brought the capital city to the brink of collapse. As the Founding Fathers fled to safety, a small community of essential workers stepped up. Who are these unsung heroes, and how did Philadelphia bounce back?
This episode of In The Margins is part of PBS’ America@250 collection, celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary. Democracy is built on participation. Get involved at https://vote.org/pbs
In The Margins is a series that covers the history they didn’t teach in school, exploring obscure, yet captivating tales that offer unique insights into their time and place.
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@frequentlycynical642
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
We laugh at the ignorance of those before us, but now we have RFK.
@karenpaap5762
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
The historical fiction book "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson is a great read if anyone is interested in a first-person account
@AscendingSol19
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
In times of crisis there is only one man we should turn to. Joe Pesci.
@jakemccoy
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
A positive thing about social media is that it is now much easier to preserve history data on redundant computer storage devices. And we can easily print that data onto hard media as needed.
@jonnda
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Covid-19 was altered in a lab in China, and it got out from there. It doesn't justify racism, it's just true.
@martinblouin3639
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Asian faced racist comment during the covid pendemic, because the government of china bioengineered the virus, dont amalgamate it with the rest
@alexharman9001
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
The Haitian revolution succeeded in large part because yellow fever devastated every French force sent to retake the colony of Saint Domingue.
@dartdude4084
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Well Covid did come from China.
@AaronShomo
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
I'm beginning to think by design the truth rarely really wins.
@johnszandrocha6429
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Do not left these stories be buried by our current administration It is hard to see some of the ignorance that is seeping into our heritage
@mariogastelum1463
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Thank You for this informative video.
Sadly people are still stupid.
We still operate on instinct rather than operate with intelligence.
@HJ-pm2dx
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Our current hhs sec has made public comments that parrot medical thinking steeped in miasma theory. What are we doing to our selves?
@8House
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
There was no "Republican" party in the 1790s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic-Republican_Party
@barbarastrayhorn4667
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Seems to me that if it wasn't for the blacks holding down the fort, lot of these places would have been a memory. Land could have defaulted back to native americans😅
@merribruce8963
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
👏🏾
@RobertKunkel-n1p
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
❤Reminders of what am epidemic was like to any community. My home port st. Thomas, Virgin Islands, went through many many such bouts. And we would be the ones who would be taking sick and dead passengers off a ship as it reprovisioned.
@pamelamccall5653
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
There is an excellent book called “American Plague”, written by a Memphis native, where the disease was particularly virulent.
@MsTiLaJ
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
It’s so sad that lower income people have historically been blamed for so many things that are a not their fault, not within their control, or not in this sphere of influence. The main population always wants an escape goat. We have to be aware of the historical trend and do our best to make sure we don’t allow it to happen again.
@urrywest
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
There was Tons of disengenuousness during corona virus..
@paisan8766
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Dr. Rush’s ancestor is unfortunately, Stockton Rush of Oceangate fame
@SRWDify
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
😮
@saludicious
October 28, 2025 at 3:13 am
Diversity strikes again. The diversity of the ship riders spread the mosquitos. Diversity in the former enslaved brought salvation.
Comments are closed.