Smallpox was a devastating force during the American Revolution, killing an estimated 145,000 settlers and Indians. The disease was spread by British soldiers who evacuated Boston, leaving behind infected troops. General George Washington was immune to smallpox and played a crucial role in containing the outbreak. Despite efforts to develop a method of inoculation, the threat of smallpox did not lessen until widespread inoculations were called for by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a member of the Continental Congress and father of American medicine.
[... more]