News - University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
Today (12 August) GLOBE Mission Mosquito Webinar: “A Malignant Tale – 1793 Yellow Fever Epidemic”
The GLOBE Mission Mosquito (GMM) webinar, “A Malignant Tale – 1793 Yellow Fever Epidemic,” will be held on Thursday, 12 August, at 02:00 p.m. EDT (06:00 p.m. UTC).
Imagine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1793. The growing city had a population of 50,000, of which around 2,000 people were black Philadelphians, 310 of whom were enslaved. The city was the center of government, trade, science, and medicine. The country was still trying to find its footing; the U.S. Constitution was signed only six years prior, in 1787. Then, tragedy strikes as Yellow Fever breaks out in 1793, killing 5,000 people, which was 10 percent of Philadelphia’s population.
Join a "Malignant Tale” to learn the details of how Caspar Wistar Haines and his family experienced the city-wide epidemic. Through their letters, discover the role of the Free African Society in taking care of Philadelphians during this time of need, and the sacrifices they made. Participants will make connections between this epidemic and today via these personal stories, the roles of essential workers, and the history of science and medicine.
To register for the webinar, click here.
To learn more about GMM, click here.
News origin: GLOBE Implementation Office