The Spread of Cholera Throughout North America in 1832 via Inland Waterways

Author(s): Nicole Deere

Year: 2019

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Shipwrecks and the Public: Getting People Engaged with their Maritime History" session, at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Steamboats and other watercraft were largely responsible for the rapid spread of cholera throughout North America in 1832 via inland waterways. The recent archaeological excavation of Phoenix II in Lake Champlain led to the rediscovery of the steamer’s role in this tragic historic event, and prompted further research to understand the maritime connection to the 1832 cholera epidemic. After arriving in Quebec City on June 4, 1832 from Europe, the cholera bacteria traveled along the St. Lawrence River to Montreal, where it dispersed in two directions: one south along Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to New York City, and the other west towards the Great Lakes and Western Rivers. This presentation will discuss the routes that the cholera bacteria followed throughout the continent, including the specific ships and boats that were linked historically to outbreaks in port towns.

Cite this Record

The Spread of Cholera Throughout North America in 1832 via Inland Waterways. Nicole Deere. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, St. Charles, MO. 2019 ( tDAR id: 449221)

Keywords

General
cholera Steamboats Waterways

Geographic Keywords
United States of America

Temporal Keywords
1832

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 389