Essay

Smallpox and the American Revolution

How smallpox threatened the American Revolution, why inoculation mattered, and how disease shaped military survival during the founding war.

Indexed essay February 27, 2026 By Devin Teichrow scienceamerican historyHistoryMedical Historyrevolutionary war

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Disease And War

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smallpox American Revolution

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By Devin Teichrow. Published February 27, 2026.

Overview

How smallpox threatened the American Revolution, why inoculation mattered, and how disease shaped military survival during the founding war.

Disease as History’s Invisible Army

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