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    An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
    An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
    An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
    Audiobook3 hours

    An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

    Written by Jim Murphy

    Narrated by Pat Bottino

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    About this audiobook

    Newbery Honor and Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor recipient Jim Murphy has written numerous stories based on historical events, such as The Boys' War and The Great Fire. In An American Plague, he tells the story of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic. Bizarre medical practices of the time are discussed, as well as popular historical figures, such as George Washington and Benjamin Rush, who were involved in finding a cure for this horrific outbreak. Pat Bottino's captivating narration adds appeal to this interesting historical tale.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 14, 2008
    ISBN9781440798634
    Author

    Jim Murphy

    Jim Murphy's nonfiction books have received numerous awards, among them two Newbery Honors, the Sibert Medal, three Orbis Pictus awards, the Margaret A. Edwards award, the James Madison Book Award, and a National Book Award nomination. Born and raised in New Jersey, Jim lives in Maplewood, NJ, with his family.  jimmurphybooks.com.

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    Reviews for An American Plague

    4/5

    222 ratings33 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book is based on the 18th century yellow fever epidemic. Throughout the book, real accounts of people living in the era are included with facts about the time period and conditions. This book should be used for older grade levels, like fifth grade and up, for expository writing and features within a non-fiction text. The book as a whole is very informative and an interesting read.
    • 4/5
      I nice middle-grade history of the 1793 yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia. Not too graphic, but not too dry, either.
    • 5/5
      Jim Murphy writes so eloquently about a terrible tragedy for early America, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The first thing that hit me about this book was Murphy's excellent story-telling style of writing. I almost felt like I was reading Tolkien in the first paragraphs, "The sun came up, as it had every day since the end of May, bright, hot, and unrelenting. The swamps and marshes south of Philadelphia had already lost a great deal of water to the intense heat, while the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers had receded to reveal long stretches of their muddy, root choked banks. Dead fish and gooey vegetable matter were exposed and rotted, while swarms of insects droned in the heavy, humid air. In Philadelphia itself an increasing number of cats were dropping dead every day, attracting, one Philadelphian complained, 'an amazing number of flies and other insects.' Mosquitoes were everywhere, though their high-pitched whirring was particularly loud near rain barrels, gutters, and open sewers.These sewers, called 'sinks' were particularly ripe this year. Most streets in the city were unpaved and had no system of covered sewers and pipes to channel water away from buildings. Instead, deep holes were dug at various street corners to collect runoff water and anything else that might be washed along. Dead animals were routinely tossed into this soup, where everything decayed and sent up noxious bubbles to foul the air." (p1,2) I have several things that I want to talk about for this opening. As previously stated, the writing is phenomenal. Murphy goes into great detail to provide excellent imagery and really put us in Philadelphia. Harping on the vile atmosphere, further set up by his description of the spoiled coffee that had been dumped by a nearby ship on the next page sets up really well for the plague, because doctors at the time really thought that disease originated from bad smells. I love how much Murphy goes into the medical practices and beliefs at the time because bleeding a patient to get out the bad blood does not seem like something an American doctor would prescribe. There is a hint about the mosquitos however, the true carrier of the epidemic.This leads into my next commentary about how thoroughly this book is researched. I have done many literature searches in my time for science papers, but I have no idea how he found a quote from some random citizen on what was at the time just a normal day complaining about the number of flies. There are 12 pages of sources listed in the back of the book, even categorized topically. Anyone looking for a good read will love this book, learning something is an excellent perk. I would recommend this for any American history class, especially to read for summer reading or over a break so that students can fully appreciate the writing, although if they enjoy reading, they won't need the whole break because they won't be able to put the book down.
    • 4/5
      An American Plague received much criticism for its dark theme and realistic description; however, this novel sticks to the true story of the plague and the horrid toll it took on all aspects of North America. I learned a hefty amount of information, ranging from the three months of no federal government to individuals terrified of leaving their home. All the information provided was revealed in an age appropriate manner (as much as it could be for such a dramatic topic). I appreciated author, Jim Murphy’s, ability to adjust the traumatizing truth to an appropriate form for a younger audience. Despite his negative feedback, I believe he provided a worthy informational text. This is absolutely not a book for entertainment, but the prefect resource for informational readings or a research tool.
    • 5/5
      In August of 1793, the Yellow Fever Epidemic invaded Philadelphia, which at the time was the largest city in the US. The virus exploded throughout the populace, killing over 100 people a day at its peak, and totalling 4-5000 in four months. The doctors argued, the government shut down, and the sick died in the streets while others escaped to the country or barricaded themselves in their homes. The author does an excellent job of creating the atmosphere of the time period, with mindsets and beliefs, political views, and descriptions of sights and smells layered into the story. The book has reproductions of prints from the time period, and from similar actions in European plagues, that illustrate the horror that was experienced but aren't too graphic for the audience. The opposite page of every chapter beginning has a contemporary newspaper showing obituaries and treatments that give scope to the fear and desperation that was felt. The story is riveting and a great way to get older children and tweens interested in history. The book won the Sibert Medal and was also a Newbery Honor book and a National Book Award Finalist.
    • 5/5
      A fascinating account of the Yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, 1793. Murphy's nonfiction books are awesome - he takes you through the event, day-by-day, mixing in first-hand accounts and facts as he makes you feel for the people involved. After telling of the event, he then takes the reader through what happens after: in this case, what we now know of Yellow Fever and other diseases spread by mosquitos, prevention methods, etc.Recommended! (though this narrator, Pat Bottino, should be skipped if possible - he read every single line as if reading newspaper headlines - pretty annoying and grating.)
    • 3/5
      (This book was read as part of my project to read all the Newbery Award and Honor books. It was an honor book in 2004.)Once again, as with The Voice That Challenged a Nation, I felt that I was simply reading an adult book with large print and a lot of pictures. It's not clear to me why this book is considered to be "for young people" except that it's relatively short. The language (necessarily so when one is quoting many 18th-century documents) is not particularly simple, and no effort is made to define unfamiliar words.Still, it is a fascinating story, and the last chapters carry on through the discovery of yellow fever's causes and the dangers of a new epidemic of the disease in our own time. Some of the descriptions of yellow fever's effects would surely appeal to preteen boys with their appetite for "gross stuff." I would like to believe that the average 6th-8th grader could easily read An American Plague, but I'm not sure that belief would be right.
    • 5/5
      This book is an account of the Yellow Fever epidemic that plagued Philadelphia in the summer of 1793. It is written like a narrative telling the events as seen by eye witnesses (through their journal entries, letters, newspapers).
    • 5/5
      A very informative book on the Yellow Fever Epidemic that started in Philadelphia and claimed the lives of many. This book includes powerful illustrations and portraits of important people and important documents printed during the plague. I enjoyed reading the first hand accounts of many whose lives were impacted by this epidemic. It describes the different cures and suggestions on how to avoid getting the plague and what to do if you became infected. It presented a detailed historical account of those terrible days.
    • 4/5
      "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" is a very scary story set in Philadelphia in the summer. A rash of illnesses starts to kill off families and entire blocks of people in a very short amount of time. It seems to have started when a young French sailor was staying at a boarding house and contracted a fever with seizures. He died a few days later, along with other people in the boarding house that contracted the illness shortly there after. Soon other people and families on the block were infected by the illness and were dying off at an alarming rate. When the illness stretched a few more blocks, the people of Philadelphia began to notice. They called in a team of doctors to examine one of the women who had the illness. One of the doctors, Dr. Benjamin Rush, immediately claimed it was yellow fever. The other doctors were more hesitant to call it this since they knew the panic it could cause the town. When the news got out about the epidemic, many of the townspeople left the city in fear of contracting the disease. They left behind the servants, to look after their houses in case of looters, and the poor that could not afford to leave. Many of the African Americans who were left behind played a huge part in helping to nurse the sick. Many of these people were part of the organization, the Free African Society. The society also helped to dispose of the bodies of the deceased in a noble way instead of just leaving them to rot. There was much political and racial finger pointing in the wake of the epidemic. In all, of Philadelphia's nearly 51,000 inhabitants, 20,000 were believed to have fled during the epidemic and claimed the lives of several thousand people.While this book was very interesting and full of interesting fact and illustrations of the time, I felt the book was a little sporadic in that the author jumped around from person to person and family to family, without ever letting us get too involved in one's story. I felt the story had a good organization other than that and really liked to read about the Free African Society, as I have never heard about this organization. I felt the author could have gone more into their background.
    • 4/5
      This is a non-fiction book about the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 which is cool because it's gory. It's not overwhelming the way most information books are. It was easy to read and liked the pictures.
    • 4/5
      The book is lengthy, but full of astounding detail about the horrific facts surrounding the deadly plaque. Students that are researching information or have a high interest in the subject (above 5th grade could be an appropriate match for this book. 
    • 4/5
      In this 2004 Newbery Honor book, the author makes history come alive. As always, when I read a book wherein I learn about a particular subject, I'm intrigued to learn more.The summer of 1793 brought death came to more than ten percent of the population of Philadelphia, PA. When the yellow fever abated, estimates are that at least five thousand died within a few months time.This book is excellently researched and it meticulously portrays not only the devastation of the yellow fever, but in addition, the reader has a clear sense Philadelphia's role in the early beginnings of American democracy.The summer was exceedingly hot, the mosquitoes were plentiful, the air was close and putrid as waste filled the streets and alleyways. For blocks the stench of waste permeated the air as a huge shipment of coffee rotted on the shipping dock.Originally striking the poor, the rich believed themselves exempt. Though suddenly, the yellow fever showed no discrimination. Those wealthy enough to flee to the countryside did so, leaving a newly formed government struggling to dispose of waste, help those who were dying, and run the government with few officials.President George Washington fled, and in doing so, a constitutional crisis ensued.Admirably, there were heroes who could have left, but stayed behind to help the afflicted. Prominent doctors struggled to find the cause and cure for the sudden outbreak. Panic ensued as they argued, and as bodies piled high and as food supply became dangerously low, the social fabric fell apart.On the front line was the Free African Society. Founded in 1787 with the mission to help members who were poor, this incredibly brave, self sacrificing group, nursed the sick, cared for the parent less children and buried the dead, sadly, tragically, history shows that despite their incredible efforts, they were later condemned for their contributions.Highly recommended
    • 3/5
      In An American Plague: The True and Terrifying story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic, the author wrote a narrative on the whole story of the Yellow Fever epidemic. It tells the story of how many families had to deal with being sick but some families were lucky to get to leave the city. However, some were not. The families that were not lucky enough to get to leave had to deal with if getting sick, they had to disinfect their everything with vinegar and even bathing in the vinegar. The story also tells us how some members of the black community helped with the sick. This story gives us an insight to how the people of Philadelphia dealt with this epidemic and the many different issues they had to deal with during the epidemic.The two themes that teachers can pull from this book is the obvious history theme and the ways that the students can avoid getting the plague. The obvious history connection is there within the whole book. The teacher can talk about the time period and the the medical help that the people had during that time. After she does this, she can then tie in that the ways that students can avoid getting Yellow Fever. The author gives tips inside the book.I did not particularly enjoy this book as much as i have enjoyed the other books that I have read this semester. It was just a little boring for me, however it was very educational. I probably would have never known all of that unless I read this book.
    • 3/5
      This book is the collection of events and letters by those who were impacted by the 1793 Plague of Yellow Fever in Philadelphia. The disease was treated by many different doctors many different ways. Their practices were often those of supersticious acts or myths of the day. Many died; the number is unknown. The disease redefined the city of Philadelphia and our nation. The disease was contracted many summers after this and throughout the United States. Its cause was found much later and was finally realized as the mosquito.This was pretty boring. I am not sure I would use it with a Young Adult class unless they were doing research papers. It is very historical, but much more medical. I believe it would be of good use to compare our government then to now. I read the book in one afternoon. I did not know of many of the old medical practices, and was amazed by all of the claims they made to cure the disease. I feel like so many common people possess more abundent sense of medical knowledge in today's society. The book was very informative, but hardly enthralling.
    • 4/5
      An American Plague is about the outbreak of Yellow Fever. It goes into detail about the symptoms and pain that individuals faced if they caught this disease and how it destroyed the cities. Thousands of people died and many survived this outbreak. The disease was a mystery and still is today! An American Plague is a great choice when teaching becuase it has a lot of good information in it. Any reader can learn something from this book!
    • 3/5
      An American Plague is about the beginning and spread of Yellow Fever. It tells the symptoms, the pain and agony, and the temporary solution. It's historical, yet reads like a story. In that case, it is easy to read.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book. I would give it a seven. It is an interesting story about the yellow fever epidemic. The accounts of the fever are very detailed. I was very interested about learning exactly what It was. I learned that it is a terrible disease that was spread throughout the states in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The end of the book also informed me that there was never a cure found for yellow fever. That also interested me. I think the nickname "a ticking time bomb" is correct about the next outbreak.
    • 5/5
      This is a gripping account of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793. Murphy captures the intense odors, the heat, and the social and emotional turmoil of the period. The descriptions of the victims are grizzly. For older readers, Murphy's descriptions of Philadelphia as the epidemic was beginning foreshadow the eventual discovery of the means of transmission. For all readers, Murphy creates a sense of the overwhelming nature of the plague. He also portrays the courage of those who stayed in Philadelphia willingly to help the city and the city, notably Dr. Benjamin Rush and the Free African Society. He also presents the profiteering and accusations that came after the plague. It's hard to create closure when an epidemic just seems to fade away after awhile, but Murphy manages by portraying the discovery of the yellow fever carrier--the mosquito. This book avoids embellishment and presents vivid factual accounts. The illustrations are taken from archives and add dimension to the story. At the end, Murphy documents his many sources. This is a worthwhile read for grade 5 and up.
    • 4/5
      Earlier this summer, I read Laurie Halse Anderson’s Fever 1793, a piece of historical fiction which recounts the widespread yellow fever that nearly wiped out the booming city of Philadelphia shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War. Anderson’s book is told through the eyes of a teenage girl whose family is torn asunder by the fever and who must quickly “grow up” in order to survive the plague. Prior to reading Fever 1793, I was previously unaware of this calamity, and I did not realize just how traumatic this experience was for the city of Philadelphia.Jim Murphy’s An American Plague mines similar territory as Anderson’s Fever 1793, but presents those events without the aid of a fictional narrative. Surprisingly, Murphy’s recounting of the events is actually more entertaining and educational that Anderson’s novel; in fact, An American Plague might even be the most fascinating “history book” that I’ve ever read. Murphy uses some very traditional “textbook” devices, such as the frequent incorporation of vintage illustrations and documents, but what really drives the novel is Murphy’s narrative style. Murphy is a gifted storyteller who manages to make dull history come alive through his poetic narration of events – no small feat for retelling a little-known piece of American history.The most interesting aspect of the book, for me, was the discussion of African-American scapegoat-ing (discussed in chapter ten). Although Anderson takes a broad hand examining the issue of race in Fever 1793, Murphy examines race relations in the aftermath of the plague with great attention to detail. Additionally, the final chapter of Murphy’s book extends farther forward in history, describing subsequent outbreaks of yellow fever and the discovery of its origins (those pesky mosquitoes). This helps provide a sense of closure to An American Plague that seems absent from Anderson’s historical fiction.Jim Murphy has written a compelling, engaging account of history in An American Plague. If only all American history classes were as entertaining as this novel, more children might actually enjoy history. And that truly is a testament to the power of Murphy’s writing.Citation:Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion, 2003. Print.
    • 4/5
      This resource is full of authentic sketches and articles, tracing the origin and effects of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Its scary how small events culminated into such a devastating plague.
    • 4/5
      An American Plague is a well-written and eye-opening detailed account of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in the autumn of 1793. Murphy can certainly turn a phrase; case in point: "Water cascaded off roofs, splashed loudly onto the sidewalks, and ran in burbling rivers through the streets. The howling wind and pounding rain made a frightful noise, and yet through it all a single, chilling sound could still be heard--the awful tolling of the church bells." Since Murphy's language is sophisticated, the account would be better suited for advanced and older intermediate readers (i.e., grades 6-8). It would also be well-used as an excerpted read-aloud during a science or health class.
    • 4/5
      An American Plague is a wonderful work of non-fiction. The book describes the true story of the Yellow Plague in Philadelphia, PA in 1793. Real life figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are discussed. An American Plague makes a point to talk about the couragious and selfless acts of African Americans during the plague and how they were treated after the plague diminished. It also talks about how doctors eventually found the cause of Yellow Fever. Modern problems with Yellow Fever is also discussed in a non alarmist way. May take a little prodding to get started, but the book is hard to put down once begun.
    • 5/5
      This story recounts the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia during 1793. It gives great details of the geography of Philadelphia during that time period, the daily life of the citizens, as well as politics. It describes the city and the horrid smells so vividly that would make one wonder how the citizens could stand it. It goes on to describe the first few cases of yellow fever all the way to present day. The story also details the doctors' odd remedies to cure the fever and tells how long it took for someone to finally figure out the cause of the fever. It gives accounts of the Free African Society and their generous contributions to the citizens of Philadelphia in their time of need. This story has a lot of interesting information about the yellow fever of 1793 as well as a brief account of what actions were taken to help prevent further epidemics.The reason I checked out this book was because I read the fictional book "Fever 1793" by Laruie Halse Anderson and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to learn more about the yellow fever. Jim Murphy does a wonderful job of providing non-fictional information about the yellow fever of 1793 as well as the citizens of Philadelphia, the doctors, and additional information about the people who tried to find out the cause of yellow fever. He even includes illustrations from that time period to help illustrate the life back then. Jim Murphy gives many references at the end of the book to do further research. I enjoyed this book so much that I plan to by a personal copy.This would be a good book to use during a history lesson about Philadelphia or George Washington. It could be read to the class as extra information. Students could learn about George Washington's part during the yellow fever epidemic. The teacher could also use some of the information from this book to emphasize the impact that mosquitoes have to the human race during a science lesson. This book would also be good reference material to use for a report.
    • 4/5
      Really cool. This book is well structured, compelling, great illustrations, and fun. The history lesson is centered around a yellow fever outbreak in the early American Capital of Philadelphia. Murphy provides the reader with information on the people, the heroes (of all races), the villains, and even the gory details of the disease itself.
    • 3/5
      This book is good for references on th Yellow Fever. I didn't care for the fluidity of the text. It was difficult to understand at times. I felt like there could have been better photographs to describe what had taken place in the late 1700's.
    • 5/5
      This is a story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 in Philadelphia. I believe the author, Jim Murphy, wrote this story to enlighten people on the plague of 1793 that was caused by mosquitoes and killed an estimated four to five thousands of people. He knew that no one has written a book about the yellow fewer. He also wanted to warn people about the possibility of an occurrence of similar epidemics in our present time. I felt for all those people who died during that time, who felt helpless trying to help like Dr. Benjamin Rush, and especially the black people of Philadelphia who tried to nurse ill people without thinking of escaping slavery or without thinking of catching the disease themselves. I also feel fortunate that I did not live at that time, but it is very scary to know that even today we still do not have a cure for yellow fever. The book is research based, gives details and copies of actual newspaper clippings of the time, and displays the role of the government’s dealing of the disease. I think this book does not have just one greatest value. Everything in it; the information, readability, and the illustrations altogether give this book a great value.
    • 4/5
      This was an insteresting book. Well, I haven't finished it yet and it has been a while since I have read it. Some of it was gory, but all in all was very interesting. I had no idea about a plague that spread throughout the USA during the eighteenth centruy. I would recommend this to history lovers and medical lovers.
    • 4/5
      I've never been a big reader of pre-20th century history, but if more of it were like this book then I might. What Jim Murphy does so well is his sifting through the historical material and building a narrative that does not gloss over anything but also does not get bogged down. Of especial interest to me in this work was the heroic role of the Free Africa Society in caring for the sick and dying in Yellow Fever-stricken Philadelphia. They show me one of history's functions: that many of those who came before us deserve to be remembered.
    • 3/5
      An unbelievably quick read, this book had Big Print and Lots of Pictures. I suspect that it was not actually targeted at my age group, that is, "old enough to know better". Still, the book was an educational look at a late 18th century yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia. George Washington was still President and humeral theory ruled medicine, so you can imagine the primitive state of medical care available to sufferers. Well researched, but written in a very simple style at a rather basic level, I finished this one in less than an afternoon. Worth reading, though, if you're a "plague" junkie like me.