revolutionary war

Why 21st-century anti-vaxxers have nothing on their 18th-century counterparts

March 25, 2015Health

George Washington certainly worried about the British army, but he may have been even more worried about smallpox, which had the potential to ravage his already-fragile army. That’s how Washington became colonial America’s champion of inoculation, the precursor to vaccines — but not without lots of protest.

Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!

We respect your time, attention and privacy

This is a news website, not a click casino. We do NOT employ deceptive behaviors, display annoying ads or use third party cookies and trackers to monetize your visit or help advertisers track you across the internet.

Simply, we ask that you would consider a donation to support the journalism we produce every weekday. Thank you.

This is The World

The World is a public radio program and podcast that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter.

Follow The World

Subscribe to The World’s Latest Edition podcast for free using your favorite podcast player: