[Maps of the Cholera Epidemic of 1873]

Mapping the 1873 cholera epidemic in the United States.

“It will rather be attempted in these pages to briefly set forth the facts which establish the connection of the mercantile marine with the importation of cholera into the United States, and to suggest what, in the present state of knowledge concerning the disease, may be done by addressing our efforts to this alleged fons et origo of malignant cholera in the western hemisphere, ‘with a view to the prevention or limitation of future outbreaks.” – Report introduction.

In 1873, a deadly cholera epidemic swept through parts of the United States as part of a larger global pandemic. It was traced to a German ship arriving in New Orleans in February, from which it spread rapidly up the Mississippi River via steamboats and along expanding railway networks. The southeastern U.S. was hit particularly hard – the embryonic city of Birmingham, Alabama, was nearly completely wiped out by deaths and residents fleeing the area.

This collection of maps was published by the Government Printing Office in 1875 as part of the federal response to the catastrophe. President Ulysses S. Grant ordered a thorough investigation of the causes and possible methods of prevention, leading to a large report authored by Dr. John M. Woodworth, the Supervising Surgeon of the U.S. Merchant Marine Hospital Service. The various plans, designed by other physicians (most notably epidemiologist Ely McClellan), show the spread of the disease across the U.S. and different urban centers, including Birmingham, Memphis, Huntsville, Paducah, Nashville, New Orleans, and Columbus. Other maps track the course of historic cholera epidemics.