Tri-Co Philly: Epidemic City: Philadelphia from Yellow Fever to COVID-19

HLTH H216 | Wednesday, 12:30–3 p.m.
Nicholas Bonneau, Haverford College

Epidemics have long been fundamental forces shaping the experience of urban life in the United States; as such, they represent powerful lenses through which to explore pressing questions at the intersection of health and disease, urban politics and design, and the social and communal fabric of urban life. This course will examine the history of epidemic disease in American cities, with a focus on Philadelphia. Students will examine how Philadelphia and other American cities have responded to epidemic disease throughout history, and, in turn, how epidemic diseases have shaped urban space and urban life, considering such questions as: How have epidemics shaped residents’ experiences of their cities, neighborhoods, and communities? How have epidemics shaped—and been shaped by—racial, class, and gender inequalities? How have evolving medical ideas—from miasma theory to the bacteriological revolution—shaped cities’ responses to health crises? How has epidemic disease impacted urban architecture, infrastructure, and design? How have responses to epidemics led to the stigmatization of marginalized and immigrant communities, or to the pathologization of disfavored urban spaces? How have urban public health agencies, health activists, and community organizations shaped urban responses to epidemics?  

The course will be organized around a series of historical case studies of epidemic disease in Philadelphia and other American cities. Each unit will also provide students with an opportunity to meaningfully engage with historical sites and institutions in Philadelphia, or with invited speakers and experts. Case studies may include the yellow fever epidemics of the 1790s; cholera, typhoid, and other “filth” diseases in the nineteenth century; polio and influenza in the early twentieth century; HIV/AIDS; and COVID-19. Site visits will include locations such as the Philadelphia Lazaretto, the American Philosophical Society Library, and the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians. This course will be taught in Philadelphia as part of the Tri-Co Philly Program.