Name: _____________________ Date: __________________ Period: __________
Background Notes for Fever 1793 from Christina Stone
Please fill in the blanks using the Appendix in Fever 1793 (p244-251)
Did the epidemic really happen?

The epidemic of yellow fever started in ____________________.

In __________ months, yellow fever killed _______ percent of
Philadelphia’s
population or nearly _____________ people.

Thousands of people ___________ the city to escape the disease.
Battle of the Doctors

Both the __________________ and the _________________ had not been
invented for doctors to use at this time.

At the start of the yellow fever epidemic about ________ doctors were practicing
medicine in Philadelphia. Not all of them were properly trained.

Some people followed Dr. _____________. He gave people mercury, calomel,
and jalap to make people throw up, hoping to rid their body of disease. He also
drained___________ from people’s bodies to rid them of the disease. Many
people think that his methods actually _________________ many of his patients.

Other people believed the ______________ doctors knew how to treat yellow
fever. They prescribed rest, fresh air, and lots of fluids. That was and still is the
__________ way to treat yellow fever.
Take Two Sponges and Call Me in the Morning

In a desperate move to cure a disease they knew little about, people would soak
sponges in____________ and stick them up their noses. They also used
_______________ to wash their hair and clothes. Several even drank it. People
hoped this strong liquid would kill all the germs from yellow fever.

_____________ and _____________ were shot in the streets in hopes of
clearing the air of disease.

Beds were ______________________and then dug up in an effort to kill the
disease.

None of these methods worked. People kept getting sick until the
_______________ killed off the ________________ that spread yellow fever.
Where are they buried?

Some people are buried in churchyards and cemeteries, but most lie
buried________________ in Washington’s Square.
The Balloon

The first hot air balloon was launched in ___________________from the
_____________________ in the city of Philadelphia.

Everyone in the city stopped what they were doing to watch. The wind blew the
balloon___________ miles, making this a very successful scientific experiment.
The Amazing Peale Family

The Peale family was a real family, although Nathaniel Benson is a fictional
character. The family was known as “__________________
___________________.”

Peale not only had an interest in art; he opened the first
____________________________museum in his home in the 1780s.

The two famous explorers, ____________and _________________ donated
many items from their journey to Mr. Peale.
Free African Society

The Free African Society was founded in ______ by _____________
and ________________, who were both born as slaves.

The Free African Society was a mutual aid organization devoted to helping,
__________, ____________ or ___________ African Americans.

It was also dedicated to abolishing _____________________.

During the yellow fever, members of the Free African Society worked to care for
all fever victims. After all the charitable work the Free African Society did during
the epidemic, they were attacked in a _____________________ written by
_________________. He accused them of overcharging for burials and stealing
from the sick.

All the accusations were _______________.
Coffeehouses

Coffeehouses were very popular in this time period. People gathered in them
to__________________, ________________, and
_____________________________.

Owning and running a coffeehouse was a _________________ business for a
widow.

The most famous coffeehouse in Philadelphia was called the
____________________.Several important figures of the time met here
frequently.
The French Influence

The French sent money and aid to help the Americans in the
_______________________.

By 1793 the French had several problems of their own. America remained
_______________, but many Americans supported the French.

During the epidemic the ______________ doctors had the most effective
treatments.
Famous People Touched by the Fever (list each name and give a few details of
each)
•
____________________________:
•
____________________________:
•
____________________________:
•
____________________________:
To Market, To Market

There were no _______________ or _______________to keep food cool during
this time, so most people bought their food at the ____________________.

_________________ would pack their wagons with food and drive into
Philadelphia. During the yellow fever epidemic, farmers were afraid to come into
the city, so getting enough ____________ during the epidemic was a problem.

Other cities imposed _________________ on the people from Philadelphia.
The Miraculous Moving Capital

____________________ was not the first capital of the country. The capital
moved several times before settling there.

The Continental Congress met for the first time in ___________. It was the
largest city and centrally located.

After the government signed a Peace Treaty with the British, the capital was in
____________.

There was much debate about moving the capital, and finally the government
decided to settle on the _______________River, which was accessible to many
people.

The government carved out pieces of ________________ and
________________ so that the capital would not be in just one state, making it
unfair.

_____________________ was the temporary home for the capital until the
capital moved to what is currently Washington DC in 1800.
Fear and Panic

There had been fevers in Philadelphia before, so most people were __________
when the fevers first began. As the death toll rose, people began to
________________.

The fever closed business and government. Men in handcarts heading to the
burial ground yelled out “_____________________.”

Although it is hard to imagine, many sick people were _________________by
their families and thrown into the _______.

The brave people who stayed to help were from the ______________, those who
worked at ________________, and members of the ____________. They are
the real heroes of this time.
Yellow Fever Today

Yellow fever still exists, but not in the _____________________.

Dr. Walter Reed discovered that ____________________ spread the disease.

In the 1930s a vaccine was developed, but yellow fever still kills thousands a
year in_______________and parts of ______________.