Old records shed new light on smallpox outbreaks in 1700s

Newly digitized records from the 18th century are shedding fresh light on devastating outbreaks of smallpox that hit the Boston area starting in 1721

BOSTON -- A highly contagious disease originating far from America's shores triggers deadly outbreaks that spread rapidly, infecting the masses. Shots are available, but a divided public agonizes over getting jabbed. Sound familiar? Newly digitized records — including a minister's diary scanned and posted online by Boston's Congregational Library and Archives — are shedding fresh light on devastating outbreaks of smallpox that hit the city in the 1700s. And three centuries later, the parallels with the coronavirus pandemic are uncanny.