In the grand scheme of things how does the coronavirus pandemic stack up with other such periods in the course of history? Some of the answers surrounding that question will be shared by the Lake Michigan College History Department next month when they play host to a virtual History Colloquium from 10-11:30 am on Wednesday, April 7th, on Zoom.
The free event, which is open to the public, will feature LMC History instructors Christopher Paine, Tim Moore and Kristen Robinson, each offering 15-to-20-minute presentations. The presentations include:
- “Deadlier Than Wars: The Flu Pandemic of 1918” by Tim Moore
- “The Black Death, the Great Plague of London and COVID-19” by Kristen Robinson
- “Even George Washington Fled: Yellow Fever in the Capital, 1793” by Christopher Paine
Paine says, “With the COVID-19 pandemic, we thought it might be interesting to go back and look at some previous examples throughout history,” adding that he hopes to make the colloquium an annual event. Paine suggests, “It may be difficult to find some perspective of what we are going through right now, but we can at least find some instances where we have been through these kinds of things before. Anyone interested in history knows that whatever we are dealing with, it has usually been worse.”
The bubonic plague, dubbed The Black Death, for example, wiped out a third of Europe in the 14th century and reemerged in 17th century London with 15-percent of the city’s population dying in one summer. The 1918 flu pandemic was responsible for more deaths than World War I, and an epidemic of yellow fever in 1793 Philadelphia was so deadly that the federal government fled the city.
A question-and-answer session and discussion will follow the presentations, and a recording will also be available for those who cannot attend the live event.
For details, you can visit online at: http://lakemichigancollege.edu/calendar
