Influenza Epidemic of 1918 (Spanish Flu): Topics in Chronicling America
Between the spring of 1918 and 1919, a virulent and fatal influenza swept the United States. This guide provides information for researching the "Influenza Epidemic of 1918 (Spanish Flu)" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspaper
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About Chronicling America
Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
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Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
Introduction
“Spanish Flu” Sweeps the Country, Killing Millions!
Between the spring of 1918 and the spring of 1919 a highly virulent and fatal influenza sweeps the country in three waves, killing the youngest and the strongest, devastating entire communities. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
Timeline
Spring 1918 - Spring 1919
Three waves of highly virulent and fatal influenza sweep the country. The fall-winter wave is the deadliest for the US. The pandemic kills millions and devastates entire communities.