Riots over inoculations. Large-scale quarantines and lockdowns. Criticisms of government action (or inaction) during disease outbreaks. The spread of mis- and disinformation about the safety of immunizations. You may be thinking, “this is a COVID episode, isn’t it?”. Not quite. In this latest installment of the TPWKY book club we’ll be discussing another key period in US history that had profound, long-lasting impacts on public health and access to medical care: the American Revolutionary War, when liberty from smallpox was even more important to the American colonists than independence from Great Britain. Our time travel tour guide is Dr. Andrew Wehrman, Associate Professor of History at Central Michigan University, who joins us to discuss his fascinating book The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution, published in December 2022. As our conversation reveals, public demand for inoculation was so great that riots were held to protest unequal access, our current lack of universal healthcare systems has incredibly deep roots, and George Washington’s greatest legacy may in fact be his ability to change his mind when presented with new information. With the Fourth of July just one week ago, what better time to consider this fresh perspective on the American fight for independence and freedom from disease.
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Ep 61 Typhoid: There's Something About Mary
Ep 60 Giving birth to "The Pill"
Ep 59 Thalidomide: Justice Delayed, Justice Denied
Ep 58 Guinea worm: (Almost) Ancient History
Ep 57 Herpes: Stop the STIgma
Ep 56 Sickle Cell Disease: Invisible Illness, Enduring Strength
Ep 55 Rocky Mountain spotted fever: The tick must be destroyed!
Ep 54 Wake Up and Smell the Caffeine
Ep 53 Radiation: X-Ray Marks the Spot
Ep 52 Rinderpest: Moo Cows, Moo Problems
Ep 51 The Path of Most (Antibiotic) Resistance
Ep 50 Antibiotics: We owe it all to chemistry!
COVID-19 Ch 11: Modeling
Ep 49 Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Triple EEEk!
COVID-19 Chapter 10: Schools
COVID-19 Chapter 9: Economics
Ep 48 Botulism: Why are you the way you are?
COVID-19 Chapter 8: Disparities
COVID-19 Chapter 7: Spillover
Ep 47 Schistosomiasis: A Snail's Pace
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