The Question:Using the following documents, analyze responses to the spread of influenza in the early twentieth century.

Historical Background: The influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 killed an estimated 50 million people, many more than the total fatalities of the First World War. Approximately 20%–40% of the global population became ill.

Did you read the question carefully and underline the words that will help ensure that you fully answer the question?

The Main Ideas: Document 1 - POV – Medical Doctor’s Letter to Friend – 1918

- 100 deaths per day in U.S. Army base [Massachusetts]

- Worse than even battles in France

Document 2 - POV – Volunteer Nurse in Washington, D.C. – Letter

– 1918 - Many sick- Long hours to care for sick- Shortage of Nurses- Government encouraged people to stay home

Document 3 - POV – British Colonial Government Report for

Leone – 1918 - Most unfortunate were from out of town- Suffered from want of attention- Too many sick in a house- Or deserted by other residents

Document 4 - POV – Sanitary Commissioner’s Report – Madras,

British India – 1918- People from interior feared medical treatment- Believed epidemic was a visitation of the Hindu

Goddess Amman- Believed no treatment should be attempted

Document 5 - POV – Editorial, Christian Science Monitor –

Massachusetts –1918- Why should churches be shut down?- Church can fill people with peace- God can contend with microbes- And if God sends pestilence [disease] for the good of

the world, then why fight it

Document 6 - POV – Editorial – Brazil – 1918- Lamenting the ignorance of the Public Health

Agency- Not understanding the disease- Letting ships enter the ports

Document 7 - Two women recalling childhood in1918/1919 in New

Zealand - Radio Show – 1967.- Take food to people too sick to warm their own food- But not allowed to enter their homes – on doorstep- Most too weak to pick up soup on doorsteps- Fire to fumigate children to prevent spread of germs- Kept away from crowds- Never too books from libraries

Document 8 - British soldier served in East Africa – 1919- Natives made coffins - Rumor spread that it was The End- God determined to wipe humanity off the world by

means of a plague more fatal than man’s destructiveness

Document 9 - American resident of British Samoa - published in

The Evening Post, a New Zealand newspaper – 1919 - Paper says 8,000 have died but underestimated- Ship brought the sickness- Within four days it spread all over - People died everywhere- But kept out of American Samoa- Prevented boat from British Samoa from entering- Five days quarantine for boat

Grouping: Responses to InfluenzaFirst Group Second Group Third GroupTrying to deal with the sheer numbers of dead and dying from the epidemic

Government policies that aided the spread of disease or hindered it

Religious responses to the catastrophe

Document 1 –Doctor at army base – 100 a day

Document 2 –Nurse – long hours – caring for the sick

Document 7 –Children bringing soup to the sick

Document 6 –Ignorance of Public Health Agency in Brazil: letting ships enter the harbors

Document 9: American Samoa preventing ship from entering port

Document 3: Died from want of attention

Document 4:A visitation from the Goddess Amman

Document 5: If God sends pestilence, don’t fight it

Document 8: The End of Days

Thesis Statement:There were a variety of responses to the spread of influenza in the early twentieth century such as government policies that aided or hindered the spread of the disease, religious understandings and justifications for the epidemic, and health care professionals and individuals who simply tried to care for the sick and dying.

Missing Document:

Who is not present?- An African voice - The document describing East Africa is from a

British colonial report- Does this report adequately convey the experiences

of the colonial subjects?- Might they not have a different understanding of the

situation?

And do not forget Point of View Analysis:Who said it and why it matters that such an individual said it?