Event Summary

The first yellow fever epidemic hit Philadelphia in 1793, killing approximately 5,000 people. The pandemic that emerged so close to New York City (NYC) prompted the creation of the first Board of Health Department. To prevent the spread of yellow fever in NYC, action was taken to quarantine boats coming from Philadelphia. Although early efforts helped delay the epidemic, in the summer of 1795 cases of yellow fever began to emerge in Manhattan. The yellow fever epidemic which lasted until 1803, varied in severity. It reached epidemic proportions three times: in 1795, 1799, and 1803 claiming thousands of lives over the course of its presence in NYC. Upon infection, most victims would experience headaches, followed by severe exhaustion, high fever and slowed heart rate.