1721: Inoculations save some from smallpox

During a smallpox epidemic in Boston, Dr. Zabdiel Boylston inoculates (purposefuly infects) his son and two of his slaves. All of them contract a light case of the virus but survive. Whites and African Americans in the Boston area, and later elsewhere, receive inoculations. Most Native peoples do not; the disease infects and kills thousands of them.

It will be a century before whites begin to inoculate Native peoples, primarily to prevent them from spreading the diease to white settlers.

Theme

Epidemics

Region

Northeast