Influenza: 1918 Flu Pandemic and Grade-school Textbooks
Scared to Death
During the latter part of the year in Massachusetts, 1918, all hell broke loose. Jane Brox, the author of the devastating essay “Influenza 1918,” describes the influenza that happened in her hometown before she was born as she states “the flu cut right through, spreading ahead of its own rumors, passing on a handshake and on the wind and with the lightest kiss.” (Brox 80). The flu was airborne and unstoppable. Deadly, the small hospitals began to fill up with patients sickened and contaminated with the virus more and more each day, the townspeople were scared for their lives, doctors were not even recording the names of the deceased anymore because there were so many victims, gauze masks used to help prevent the contamination sold out from every store, they did nothing. Chaos! Everyone was on their own, praying to God that they would not catch the virus each and every time they took a step outside and also every time they put something to their mouth. According to the documentary provided by the American Experience program, “It was the worst epidemic this country has ever known. It killed more Americans than all the wars this century—combined.” (“Influenza 1918” 1). Though this epidemic seemed to be one of the biggest tragedies that America has seen since the Civil War, the majority of Americans simply are not aware of the Influenza of 1918 because despite the fact that the epidemic was in the collective consciousness of the nation in 1918 like World War I, an event that the majority of Americans today are aware of, the epidemic was experienced individually and therefore not taught in grade-school textbooks, the war at the time seemed to be more important in the country’s eyes, and that America simply just does not support it.
Grade school is the primary source where the majority of Americans learn about historical history. Seeing as the majority of Americans are still unaware of the influenza epidemic of 1918, this
During the latter part of the year in Massachusetts, 1918, all hell broke loose. Jane Brox, the author of the devastating essay “Influenza 1918,” describes the influenza that happened in her hometown before she was born as she states “the flu cut right through, spreading ahead of its own rumors, passing on a handshake and on the wind and with the lightest kiss.” (Brox 80). The flu was airborne and unstoppable. Deadly, the small hospitals began to fill up with patients sickened and contaminated with the virus more and more each day, the townspeople were scared for their lives, doctors were not even recording the names of the deceased anymore because there were so many victims, gauze masks used to help prevent the contamination sold out from every store, they did nothing. Chaos! Everyone was on their own, praying to God that they would not catch the virus each and every time they took a step outside and also every time they put something to their mouth. According to the documentary provided by the American Experience program, “It was the worst epidemic this country has ever known. It killed more Americans than all the wars this century—combined.” (“Influenza 1918” 1). Though this epidemic seemed to be one of the biggest tragedies that America has seen since the Civil War, the majority of Americans simply are not aware of the Influenza of 1918 because despite the fact that the epidemic was in the collective consciousness of the nation in 1918 like World War I, an event that the majority of Americans today are aware of, the epidemic was experienced individually and therefore not taught in grade-school textbooks, the war at the time seemed to be more important in the country’s eyes, and that America simply just does not support it.
Grade school is the primary source where the majority of Americans learn about historical history. Seeing as the majority of Americans are still unaware of the influenza epidemic of 1918, this
Cited: Brox, Jane. “Influenza 1918.” One Hundred Great Essays. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Diyanni. Boston: Peason, 2013. 79-86. Print. “Influenza 1918.” Prod. and Dir. Robert Kenner. Narr. Linda Hunt. American Experience. PBS. N.p. PBS.org. Web. 15 October 2013. DVD. PDF file. Transcript.