An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which words best describe how many US citizens felt about Washington’s hesitant attitude toward helping the French republic?

A) An appropriate solution

B) A sign of betrayal

C) An example of wisdom

D) A longing for neutrality

2. In Chapter 1, Murphy describes the mysterious fever as “an invisible stalker that would go house to house until it had touched everyone, rich or poor, in some terrible way.” Which of the following literary devices does Murphy use in this quote?

A) Metaphor

B) Simile

C) Allegory

D) Personification

3. For Murphy to write his account, which of the following resources was necessary?

A) Photographs of the plague

B) Detailed maps of Philadelphia

C) Firsthand, written accounts of the illness

D) Precise medical records of the disease’s origins

4. Which of the following phrases best summarizes the events of Chapter 4?

A) The mass exodus of politicians and business leaders from Philadelphia

B) The increasing scientific study of yellow fever patients

C) The return of President Washington from his exile

D) The passage of health and safety laws at the federal level

5. What reason does Murphy offer for why Dr. Rush’s medical peers judged his treatments too harshly?

A) They supported only the most extreme bleeding methods.

B) They were jealous of Rush’s results.

C) Politicians were placing pressure on the doctors of New York.

D) The entire medical field was experiencing a transition.

6. Which word best describes the attitude of surrounding counties toward incoming Philadelphians in Chapter 7?

A) Welcoming

B) Fearful

C) Apathetic

D) Empathetic

7. Which word best describes many landlords’ responses to the plague during the autumn months in Philadelphia?

A) Gluttony

B) Lust

C) Sloth

D) Greed

8. Which of the following changes was introduced as a result of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia?

A) Moving the capital to Philadelphia

B) Introducing laws to regulate landlords’ collection of rent

C) Improving public health codes at the city level

D) Reducing the number of medical professionals practicing bloodletting

9. Which group of people did residents of both Manhattan and Philadelphia believe were the culprits in initially transmitting yellow fever?

A) Migrants

B) Irish

C) Dominicans

D) Impoverished

10. Scientific research indicates that yellow fever originates in a place most likely inhabited by which type of animal?

A) Crow

B) Rat

C) Moose

D) Monkey

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Describe the narration style of the text. Who is the narrator? What type of text is this account?

2. Although the negative effects of the yellow fever outbreak were catastrophic to the population of Philadelphia, Murphy notes some of the positive effects of the 1793 outbreak. What are some of the positive effects of the “American Plague” on future generations that Murphy discusses?