Dr. Thomas Anderson presents a brief history of ancient life and how ancient people was challenged by two plagues. The first, the Plague of Athens, took place from 430-426 BCE, and the second, the Antonine Plague, from 165-180 CE. The presentation discusses the impact of these diseases, how they spread, and the conclusions and discoveries…
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Dr. Hans Hummer’s presentation covers the First and Second Pandemics of the Bubonic plague in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. It explores three pandemics of Bubonic Plague that took place. The first, the Justinianic Plague of the sixth century, lasted 200 years. The second, The Black Death in the fourteenth century, is the deadliest…
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Dr. Karen Marrero discusses the indigenous societies in the Americas prior to the arrival of Europeans. Dr. Marrero describes how following the arrival of the Europeans, indigenous communities were suffered from the diseases Europeans brought with them including smallpox, measles, and influenza beginning in the 1400s. These diseases spread throughout indigenous communities during the next…
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Aimee Shulman, MA student, discusses the impact of the plague of London in 1665-1666. She discusses the treatments of the day and explores the efforts of the London city government to combat the spread of the plague. In the podcast she talks about the illness itself, how it spread to England, and other cities that…
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Dr. Marsha Richmond describes the impact of the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721 had in helping to eradicate the disease. Boston had been plagued by earlier outbreaks and faced additional risks of exposure due to its being the major harbor in New England. The presentation covers the political and religious influences that influenced the city’s…
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Dr. Kidada Williams explores the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 and how it affected the African American population of Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a hub for the Black community as many enslaved African Americans gained freedom there due to Pennsylvania laws. Dr. Williams explores the misinformation surrounding black immunity to the yellow fever and how their…
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Allie Penn, PhD student, explores the effect of the Spanish influenza pandemic in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, specifically in the iron ore mining districts near Marquette. The presentation looks at the efforts of the mining companies to vaccinate miners and their families in order to limit the spread of the disease. The presentation also compares the…
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Dr. Richmond’s presentation focuses on the impact of Spanish Influenza on the city of Detroit. She highlights the spread of the disease within the city, the impact of influenza on wartime production, and the ways in which the city and state governments attempted to stop the spread of the disease. Additionally Dr. Richmond provides a…
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Sarah Tropper, MA student, and Allie Penn, PhD student, explore the role of nursing during the Spanish flu. There was no cure or vaccine for the illness and caring for patients relied on the nurses who cared for patients by keeping them hydrated and comfortable. This presentation looks at the public health work of the…
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Dr. Joe Lunn, of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, discusses the 1918-1919 Spanish Influenza pandemic in Senegal. The impact of the Spanish flu in Africa is often overlooked for a number of reasons including colonization. This presentation explores the three waves that struck the continent and the response to the illness in Africa. Photo credit: Image of…
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