In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle Birchak speaks with Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai of the Massachusetts Historical Society about the hidden epidemic that shaped the American Revolution. While battles raged, smallpox quietly threatened to destroy the Continental Army and colonial communities. From George Washington’s controversial order to inoculate his soldiers to Abigail Adams’s letters describing her family’s ordeal, this conversation reveals how trust in science, courage, and collective action helped secure America’s future.

Three Things Listeners Will Learn:

How smallpox ravaged North America during the Revolutionary War and why it was considered more dangerous than the battlefield.
Why George Washington’s decision to inoculate the Continental Army may have saved the Revolution.
How Abigail and John Adams’s letters reveal the fears, risks, and resilience of ordinary families facing inoculation.

Resources & Further Reading:

Massachusetts Historical Society
Massachusetts Historical Society – Adams Family Papers
Mount Vernon – George Washington and Smallpox Inoculation
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – History of Smallpox
WHO – Eradication of Smallpox

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Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers

🎵 Audio Editor: Podcast mixed by David Aviles

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Washington, Adams, and Smallpox: An MHS Interview