Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
n 1793, a yellow fever epidemic shook Philadelphia, the new nation’s capital. Many residents, including medical practitioners, fled the city. In their absence, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones of the Free African Society marshalled their organization’s members to provide free care to the sick and dying. Panelists will explore the work of the Free African Society during the pandemic along with a discussion of the backlash that emerged against the Free African Society in the wake of the epidemic.
For more information about the Pandemic Perspectives colloquium visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/pandemic-perspectives
For more on COVID19 collecting visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/statement-national-museum-american-history-implements-collecting-strategy-response
For more on Medical collections visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/antibody-initiative
n 1793, a yellow fever epidemic shook Philadelphia, the new nation’s capital. Many residents, including medical practitioners, fled the city. In their absence, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones of the Free African Society marshalled their organization’s members to provide free care to the sick and dying. Panelists will explore the work of the Free African Society during the pandemic along with a discussion of the backlash that emerged against the Free African Society in the wake of the epidemic.
For more information about the Pandemic Perspectives colloquium visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/pandemic-perspectives
For more on COVID19 collecting visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/statement-national-museum-american-history-implements-collecting-strategy-response
For more on Medical collections visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/antibody-initiative
