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80% of Americans DON’T KNOW These Historical Facts

American
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

8. During the American Revolution, the Patriot army was vaccinated against smallpox

Vaccination against various diseases has been used since 1000 CE, and a lot of sources dare to say that the procedure started even earlier than that. Although it was a long way from current practices, smallpox vaccination had been developed by the 18th century. In 1796, however, a British physician named Edward Jenner developed a more effective form of this vaccine.

During the American Revolution (1775–1783), variolation was the main procedure, and it was not at all enjoyable because the doctor had to make an incision into the patient’s skin to insert a lace with smallpox. This procedure wasn’t safe at all; in fact, it was lethal in 20% of the cases and carried the risk of spreading the infection much faster.

Throughout the entirety of American history, the smallpox epidemic started in Boston, and the main cause of losing the battle in Quebec was mostly because the American forces were severely weakened by disease.

George Washington ultimately came to the conclusion that the only course of action was to vaccinate his troops against smallpox on February 5th, 1777. The decision was made because the treatment was dangerous, and the recovery period may have been used by the opposing side as an opportunity.

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3 Responses

  1. They could have said what year the USA acquired Alaska.
    Also, that Hawaii was annexed to the USA several years after the Hawaiian kingdom was overthrown by American citizens.

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