To: combjelly who wrote (1573737 ) 11/26/2025 2:12:30 PM From: Maple MAGA 1 RecommendationRecommended By
Read Replies (1) | Respond to Washington Ordered Mandatory Smallpox Inoculation (1777) and the protection immunity provided.What he did: He issued a mandatory order that all troops —new recruits and those not previously infected—be inoculated (a primitive form of vaccination). Locations included Philadelphia, Morristown, and several Virginia and New England encampments. Why: Smallpox outbreaks had crippled American forces during the failed Quebec campaign. British troops, many of whom had immunity, were not affected as severely. Washington believed smallpox threatened the Revolution more than the British Army itself. How: Soldiers were rotated into inoculation hospitals. Commanders were instructed to conceal the process from the British. Newly enlisted soldiers were inoculated before joining main forces. This Was the First Large-Scale Mandatory Medical Intervention in U.S. Military History Washington’s mandate: Was compulsory , not voluntary. Was strategically motivated to preserve fighting capacity. Reduced smallpox deaths drastically and changed the course of the war. The Procedure Was Risky by Modern Standards This was variolation , not vaccination: Live smallpox material was introduced via a cut in the skin. Mortality of variolation was about 1–2% , compared to 20–30% for natural smallpox. Troops were quarantined during recovery. Yes—George Washington mandated smallpox inoculation for American troops in 1777.
