Interpreting the
Past: The Pandemic of 1918
One of
the main jobs of historians is to interpret the past by reviewing primary
documents, scholarly secondary sources, and then creating an analysis of this
research. After reading your text and reviewing the assigned materials, submit
an analysis of the Spanish Flu of 1918. Beginning in 1918, an illness
that came to be known as the Spanish Flu began making its way around the world
and resulted in the deaths of over 25 million people worldwide. You have
lived your last 18 months through the current Covid pandemic.
You
might want to consider the following questions, but you are not limited to
them: How was the pandemic of 1918 different from typical cases of
influenza and previous pandemics? How did it spread so rapidly? What can we
learn from this event? What did we learn from this event moving into the
Covid pandemic? What will historians and history students in the future
learn from the Covid pandemic?
This
assignment should be at least 350 words and contain your reactions or questions
about some specific issue within the historical narrative which you find
compelling. For full credit, your paper must not simply sum up the reading or
repeat points made there. Rather, I’m looking for you to create your own
interpretation, explain the emotional content of the piece, or discuss some
original insight. Include citations as needed.
Read the provided articles and view the resources regarding the history and legacy of the Spanish Flu.
· Online Exhibit: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918Links to an external site. -explore this exhibit from the National Archives
· Online Exhibit: The Spanish Flu in CartoonsLinks to an external site.
· Article: How the Horrific 1918 Flu Spread Across America.pdf Smithsonian Magazine explains the speed of the disease spread
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/
