Spanish Flu

Macleans said that COVID-19 as the potential to be like the Spanish Flu.

The New York Times and The Atlantic says that it is not.

How can we as history educators help students make sense of this moment?

Historicizing this moment

Past Pandemics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (American)

"Preparing for future pandemics by learning from the past." (Oct 3, 2018). Featured stories from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Brockell, Gillian. (Feb 29, 2020). "Trump is ignoring the lessons of 1918 flu pandemic that killed millions, historian says." The Washington Post.

Chotiner, Isaac. (March 3, 2020.) "How Pandemics Change History." The New Yorker

Primary Sources and/or Primary Sources with interpretation for educators

The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919: A digital encyclopedia. From the University of Michigan Centre for the History of Medicine and Michigan Publishing.

BC Archives collection search for "Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919"

The Deadly Virus: The influenza epidemic of 1918” online exhibit from the National (American) Archives

Google Image search for “1918 influenza newspaper articles

"Influenza in Brandon and rumours about the end of the war." (Oct 22, 2018). Blog post from Archives of Manitoba.

Influenza Pandemic, 1918–1919” page from the making Medicare: The history of health care in Canada, 1914-2007 exhibit from the Canadian Museum of History.

Influenza poster, 1918” from Archives of Ontario.

Prince George 1918 Flu Epidemic Teachers Kit: Flu in Prince George: Corless Funeral Ledger” University of Northern British Columbia library & archives.

The Spanish Flu - Defining Moments Canada

The Spanish Flu in Saskatchewan” online exhibit from the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan

Secondary Sources

Barry, John. (November 2017). "How the Horrific 1918 Flu Spread Across America." Smithsonian Magazine.

Bradburn, Jamie. (Feb 15, 2018). "When the Spanish flu came to Ontario." TVO - Society.

Brodie, Hallie. (Nov 29, 2019). "Weathering an Epidemic: A Look at the U of A During the Spanish Flu." The Quad - UofA blog

Cinq-Mars, Marcelle. (Nov 29, 2018). "1918 Spanish flu epidemic." Library and Archives Canada blog.

"Fighting deadly influenza: Sickness was claiming victims of its own here at home." (Oct 6, 2018). The Guardian.

Gates, Michael. (Feb 21, 2014). "Yukon and the flu epidemic of 1918" - Part 1 & Part 2. Yukon News

Gill, Jordon. "100 years ago today: Province shut down over fears of Spanish flu." (October 11, 2018). CBC New Brunswick.

Goldenberg, Susan. (Sept 11, 2018). "Killer Flu." Canada's History.

Grant, Dorothy. (March 5, 2020). "Spanish flu shook Nova Scotia to its core." The Chronicle Herald.

Gunderman, Richard. (Jan 12, 2018). "Ten Myths About the 1918 Flu Pandemic." Smithsonian Magazine.

Higgins, Jenny. (2007) "The 1918 Spanish Flu." Heritage Newfoundland & Labrador.

Jones, E. W. (2005). “’Co-operation in All Human Endeavour’: Quarantine and Immigrant Disease Vectors in the 1918–1919 Influenza Pandemic in Winnipeg.” Canadian bulletin of medical history, 22(1), 57-82.

Kelm, M. E. (1999). “British Columbia First Nations and the influenza pandemic of 1918-19.” BC Studies: The British Columbian Quarterly, (122), 23-48.

Klein, Christopher. (Feb 4, 2020). "Why October 1918 Was America's Deadliest Month Ever." The History Channel.

Ladouceur, Samuel. (Oct 24, 2018). "Spanish Flu: Providing care during a pandemic." Le Monastere des Augustines.

Palmer, C. T., Sattenspiel, L., & Cassidy, C. (2007). Boats, trains, and immunity: the spread of the Spanish flu on the island of Newfoundland. Newfoundland and Labrador Studies, 22(2). https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/NFLDS/article/download/10120/10397

Rieger, Sarah. (Dec 29, 2018). "100 years ago, a train carrying Spanish flu pulled into Calgary. Within weeks, Alberta was in crisis." CBC Alberta

"The Spanish Flu in Canada (1918-1920)" backgrounder from Parks Canada

Van Dyk, Spencer. (July 23, 2018). "Archeologists dig up history of men lost to Spanish Flu in Matapédia, Que." CBC Montreal.

Wills, Matthew. (Jan 15, 2018). "The Flu Pandemic of 1918, As Reported in 1918." JSTOR Daily. (Blog post with links to articles)

Wilton, Peter. (1992) "Manitoba History: Influenza." Manitoba Historical Society, num 23.

Resources by Province

Alberta

Brodie, Hallie. (Nov 29, 2019). "Weathering an Epidemic: A Look at the U of A During the Spanish Flu." The Quad - UofA blog

Rieger, Sarah. (Dec 29, 2018). "100 years ago, a train carrying Spanish flu pulled into Calgary. Within weeks, Alberta was in crisis." CBC Alberta

British Columbia

BC Archives collection search for "Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919"

Kelm, M. E. (1999). “British Columbia First Nations and the influenza pandemic of 1918-19.” BC Studies: The British Columbian Quarterly, (122), 23-48.

Prince George 1918 Flu Epidemic Teachers Kit: Flu in Prince George: Corless Funeral Ledger” University of Northern British Columbia library & archives.

Manitoba

"Influenza in Brandon and rumours about the end of the war." (Oct 22, 2018). Blog post from Archives of Manitoba.

Jones, E. W. (2005). “’Co-operation in All Human Endeavour’: Quarantine and Immigrant Disease Vectors in the 1918–1919 Influenza Pandemic in Winnipeg.” Canadian bulletin of medical history, 22(1), 57-82.

Wilton, Peter. (1992) "Manitoba History: Influenza." Manitoba Historical Society, num 23.

New Brunswick

Gill, Jordon. "100 years ago today: Province shut down over fears of Spanish flu." (October 11, 2018). CBC New Brunswick.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Higgins, Jenny. (2007) "The 1918 Spanish Flu." Heritage Newfoundland & Labrador. *Note: Includes section on Labrador and has archival images

Palmer, C. T., Sattenspiel, L., & Cassidy, C. (2007). Boats, trains, and immunity: the spread of the Spanish flu on the island of Newfoundland. Newfoundland and Labrador Studies, 22(2). https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/NFLDS/article/download/10120/10397

Nova Scotia

Grant, Dorothy. (March 5, 2020). "Spanish flu shook Nova Scotia to its core." The Chronicle Herald.

Ontario

Bradburn, Jamie. (Feb 15, 2018). "When the Spanish flu came to Ontario." TVO - Society.

Influenza poster, 1918” from Archives of Ontario.

Prince Edward Island

"Fighting deadly influenza: Sickness was claiming victims of its own here at home." (Oct 6, 2018). The Guardian.

Quebec

Ladouceur, Samuel. (Oct 24, 2018). "Spanish Flu: Providing care during a pandemic." Le Monastere des Augustines.

Van Dyk, Spencer. (July 23, 2018). "Archeologists dig up history of men lost to Spanish Flu in Matapédia, Que." CBC Montreal.

Saskatchewan

"The Spanish Flu in Saskatchewan" online exhibit from the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan

Yukon

Gates, Michael. (Feb 21, 2014). "Yukon and the flu epidemic of 1918" - Part 1 & Part 2. Yukon News