Smallpox Epidemic in Marblehead

A devastating smallpox epidemic struck Marblehead in 1773-74, killing approximately one-third of the town's population. The epidemic, which provoked violent controversy over inoculation, weakened the community just as political tensions were reaching a breaking point.

The smallpox crisis intersected with the political crisis in complex ways. An inoculation hospital on Cat Island was burned by opponents of the practice. The town's population was diminished and its economy disrupted. Yet Marblehead still managed to organize effective resistance and contribute significantly to the war effort.