Introduction: How Have Epidemics Shaped American History?
There were many episodes in history when humanity met with epidemics of various deadly infections. However, since Christopher Columbus first encountered indigenous people in North America in 1492, viruses have opened up a new perspective for the development of society. Often, various diseases were associated with representatives of a particular group that was susceptible to it. This process resulted in the development of racism and segregation, which even today shape public opinion. However, members of the majority often do not take into account the social conditions created by them, which are ideal for the spread of infection.
Epidemics in American History
Interpretation of Massive Native Americans Deaths
The Spanish and other Europeans interpreted the mass deaths of Native Americans from various diseases in a supernatural sense. In particular, they viewed these events from the perspective of the biblical stories of the plague afflicting the enemies of the Israelites (“Part I” 9:10-9:30). This convinced the Europeans that the Christian religion is the only true religion, and its bearers are the chosen ones. The plague, thus, was considered a miracle that gave Europeans access to new lands and resources. In turn, this was seen as God’s reward to Europeans for genuine faith in Christianity. Therefore, Native Americans were seen as an obstacle to the expansion of Europeans, which God is helping to overcome. However, these events served as a justification not only from a religious perspective but also from a biological one.
Justification of White Supremacy
In particular, in the period from the 17th to the 19th century, the idea of white supremacy was actively developed. Europeans believed that if Native Americans are plague-prone and conquerors from the Old World are not, then “certain bodies are inferior to other bodies” (“Part I” 11:45-11:55). This belief would later result in justification for the massacre of Native Americans in the 18th century. Since they were considered inferior in relation to the Europeans, their murder was not considered a crime or a sin either. During the uprising led by Pontiac of 1760-1763, the British planned to use smallpox as a weapon of genocide (“Part I” 13:55-14:05). While it is not known for certain whether this was realized, many Indians have died of the disease in the Great Lake area. Thus, due to their susceptibility to the plague, Native Americans were viewed as non-humans who simply occupied the land useful for Europeans. The mass extermination of Indians was considered a righteous deed, which was done for the benefit of the people.
Indians, Freedmen, and Immigrants
However, Europeans were indifferent not only to plague deaths among Native Americans but also to epidemics among Freedmen during the Reconstruction. In particular, when yellow fever and smallpox broke out among former slaves in the mid-1850s, not even the Freedmen Bureau responded (“Part I” 16:30-17:00). Additionally, Freedman was accused by whites of spreading the infection, as they allegedly had poor hygiene and diet. However, these stereotypes were also relevant to European immigrants who later flocked to the United States.
In particular, the theory of the relation of plague and the physical and mental inferiority extended to Irish immigrants. Americans blamed the Irish for the spread of cholera due to poor hygiene, drunkenness, and their lifestyle in general (“Part I” 20:00). However, they did not take into account that the conditions in which immigrants live are an ideal environment for the spread of infections. Thus, the Irish were by nature viewed as spreading the plague, and therefore as non-humans to be disposed of. Italian and Jewish immigrants faced the same attitude in the years 1880-1920 (“Part I” 23:20). The skin color of Southwestern Europeans, who were not considered White, also played a special role in this. A common belief was that “these near humans are to blame for their illness” (“Part I” 24:50). Thus, former slaves and immigrants were seen as a threat to the entire society, but working and living conditions were not seen as reasons for the spread of the infection.
Influenza Pandemic Mislabeling
At the beginning of the 20th century, infectious diseases became associated with certain nationalities. In the last months of the First World War, a global influenza epidemic occurred in the United States, which was immediately associated with the activities of the Germans, who deliberately spread germs (“Part I” 31:00-31:20). Despite the fact that the first outbreaks occurred in the United States, it was called Spanish flu, and no one associated it with the Americans. Press reports of the spread of infection in the United States were suppressed to preserve the morale of soldiers in the fight against the Germans. However, in Spain, which did not participate in the war, influenza became the main news. These events created fear and hostility among Americans towards immigrants, in particular from Southwestern Europe, who were considered to be the spread of the infection.
This served as a justification for the development of the argument about the need to restrict immigration. Mislabeling later resulted in the emergence of strict quotas on the number of immigrants from different parts of the world. People will be seen as inferiors who are not white enough and spread the infection due to poor living conditions and physical and mental underdevelopment. Immigration restriction policy would apply in the United States for the next 41 years (“Part I” 38:20). Thus, this trend has been shaping American politics for many years and has influenced the strengthening of segregation and stereotyping.
AID Epidemic and COVID-19 Pandemic Similarities
Labeling of a certain group of people for the spread of the disease occurred later as well during the AIDS epidemic. Since the disease was mainly affected by members of the gay community, it became known as the gay plague (“Part II” 9:20). However, the mass deaths of community members and other groups affected by AIDS have not been met with sympathy from the dominant culture. Prolonged disregard for the epidemic and the refusal of public comment by officials led not only to anti-gay prejudice but also to the spread of a lot of inaccurate information about the infection (“Part II” 18:30). In turn, this has led to harsh political proposals, including segregating those infected with AIDS or getting visible tattoos on their bodies (“Part II” 20:30). Similar events are observed in the modern world with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, the virus is often associated in society with Wuhan, where the first outbreak occurred and is called the Chinese virus, which identifies racist ideas. Additionally, as with earlier epidemics in human history, the Chinese are blamed for the spread of the infection (“Part II” 31:00). In particular, it is widely believed in society that coronavirus infection was transmitted to humans from animals, various species of which the Chinese eat. Chinese immigrants to the United States are also subject to physical assaults due to these beliefs. The COVID-19 pandemic is also similar to the AIDS epidemic, with officials downplaying its significance (“Part II” 32:00). This attitude prevents the proliferation of adequate measures to minimize the risk and the spread of infection. Most importantly, even in modern conditions, the infected are accused of spreading the disease, but society does not pay attention to their living and working conditions.
American Society’s Response to Epidemics
History shows that American society at all times has responded to epidemics and outbreaks of infection without personal responsibility, which is especially true for representatives of the privileged classes. Their actions were based on moral principles that are consistent with their worldview, in particular Christianity and conservatism. Thus, Americans pursue the interests of the majority, which shares their beliefs, while this does not provide the benefit of the whole society, which consists of many groups. They also valued the individual rights of the privileged class representatives over safety.
Conclusion
The decisions made by previous generations of Americans during epidemics led to the development of structural racism and class segregation. This was due to the fact that the government did not take into account the cultural differences that exist between the majority and members of minorities. The definition of American identity created by the majority proclaims conservative beliefs that do not accept diversity, which influences the decisions and actions of officials. During the AIDS epidemic, the LGBTQ community embarked on protests in the form of creative campaigns to raise awareness of the deaths caused by the disease. It is noteworthy that they did not incite hatred and did not seek to harm society; they tried to explain that the problem exists and it is serious.
Works Cited
“American Pandemics from Columbus to the Coronavirus, Part I.” YouTube, uploaded by Dr. Michael Phillips’ History Channel, 2020, Web.
“American Pandemics from Columbus to the Coronavirus Part II: AIDS and Covod-19.” YouTube, uploaded by Dr. Michael Phillips’ History Channel, 2020, Web.