Smallpox thwarted American conquest of Canada two and a half centuries ago.
In the turbulent years of the American Revolution, smallpox emerged as a formidable adversary, claiming lives and disrupting military strategies on both sides of the conflict.
During the 18th century, vaccination, a newly developed method to combat smallpox, still carried a mortality rate of 1 to 3%. This high risk was evident in the case of General John Thomas, the new commander of the American army in Canada, who died from smallpox on June 2, 1776, near Fort Chambly on the Richelieu River.
Historian Ann M. Becker of New York's Empire State University has suggested that the British intentionally spread smallpox among the Americans as a war crime. This theory, while controversial, gains support from the fact that the British army regularly vaccinated its soldiers, making the disease more likely to have a negative impact on the Americans.
The disease was already ravaging Quebec civilians in December 1775 when American troops took position before the capital's walls. The fear of smallpox spreading around Quebec led many American soldiers to not renew their one-year engagement contracts with the Canadian continental army.
The "redcoats," protected by a better-adapted diet and uniforms, were less susceptible to the disease than their colonial counterparts, whose camps often lacked hygiene. This disparity was further exacerbated by the British governor Guy Carleton, who drove out American sympathizers from Quebec, contributing to the spread of smallpox among revolutionaries.
The long siege of Boston saw both sides suffering from smallpox. Out of the 8,000 American soldiers, only half were able to fight due to the disease. In response, General Benedict Arnold, who had contracted smallpox during the campaign, banned vaccinations under penalty of death.
In contrast, Pennsylvania allowed inoculation of smallpox, but New York and Virginia prohibited it. This inconsistency in policies led to a dangerous practice among American soldiers: many, in the absence of a planned campaign by the high command, resorted to secretly infecting themselves with needles, further spreading the disease.
General Montgomery, despite having experienced smallpox in his youth, was unable to inoculate his troops due to his haste to take Quebec before winter. The long-term effects of smallpox ranged from loss of eyebrows to blindness, with deep scars left on the face by the dried crusts of pustules.
After two weeks of incubation, smallpox manifested with a high fever, headaches, chills, vomiting, and characteristic pustules. Vaccinated individuals were contagious and had to be placed in quarantine during recovery.
The use of smallpox as a biological weapon did not escape the Americans, who also suffered from it during the long siege of Boston. The devastating impact of smallpox on both sides serves as a grim reminder of the human toll of war and the importance of public health measures in times of crisis.
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