Friday, May 2, 2014

The Smallpox Epidemic of 1862

In class today we explored the terrible Smallpox epidemic of 1862 that started in Victoria and was carried all the way up the coast to Haida Gwaii and Fort Simpson (now Lax Kw'alaams). Smallpox killed  half of the First Nations People in the area. To Read the full story, ready the document attached from Persistance and Change, pages 94-96.
 
click here to download the PDF
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8 comments:

  1. AlauraMarch 4, 2013 at 4:05 PM

    Living then must have been terrible. I would have been terrified... The vaccines were also hard to come by around there. The death toll was huuge! Smallpox wiping out half of First Nations, it must have been devistating. I have found a solution to not looking at the blog as well, setting it as my homepage xD

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  2. SydneyMarch 6, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    im glad that small ox is no longer a problem. mostly because all those people arent dying but pretty much because small pox is really nasty and grosses me out.

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  3. EmmaMarch 6, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    I hated chicken pox I don't think I would be able to handle the smallpox, and the number of people killed by it is very sad. Good thing we now have vaccines.

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  4. RylanMarch 6, 2013 at 10:51 AM

    ewwwww

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  5. MickaelaMarch 6, 2013 at 10:53 AM

    The small pox must have been a great devistation to the first nations popolation. In some places it wiped out over half the population. The way they gave the vaccince didn't seem very fun to get, but it was the onlything that would save their life.

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  6. kolby jonesMarch 6, 2013 at 8:43 PM

    It must have been terrible having the death toll of your friends and family rising by the day. everyday life was probably terrifying, i would be scared to death wondering if i'm going to get smallpox today or tomorrow. The population of the first nations people would have been much larger today if the smallpox virus hadn't killed off as many people as it did

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  7. Tannis CalderMarch 6, 2013 at 8:56 PM

    I'm sure it was very terrifying. Can you imagine what it would be like to have HALF of all of the people in your community die- all in one year. You are right about the fact that there would have been more First Nations people if the smallpox epidemic had not occurred. How do you think that would have effected history?

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  8. nicolas fenton-vickersMarch 7, 2013 at 11:14 AM

    im glad that it is no more

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