The Demon That Dethroned Dynasties: The Turbulent History of Smallpox and the Political Backstory of Its Eradication
Wednesdays, January 28 and February 4 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45
Presented by Bee Bloeser
Smallpox killed at a terrifying rate. It helped shape world history as it influenced the fate of nations, including our own. This course focuses primarily on this dramatic legacy and the complex preeradication backstory rather than the eradication effort itself. We’ll examine the impact of smallpox on colonial America and the American Revolution after reviewing its shuffling of dynasties around the world. We’ll trace ancient attempts at control, the rise of early inoculation, and the development of the first vaccine. We’ll explore the politics that delayed—and ultimately launched—the campaign that eradicated the disease. We’ll also highlight the campaign’s challenges and lessons learned.
We’ll conclude with a brief look at potential future risk and safeguards meant to prevent virus samples, officially held only in Atlanta and Russia, from escaping high-security laboratories.