How Can Times of Crisis Affect Citizens and Society?

The Central Inquiry: The primary focus of this study is the essential question: "How can times of crisis affect citizens and society?"
Complexity of Causality: It is understood that a single cause can lead to a wide and diverse range of effects across different sectors of society.
Patterns of Human Behavior: In the midst of a crisis, specific patterns of human behavior typically emerge. These behaviors are driven by various psychological and instinctual factors, including:
- Fear and panic.
- Compassion and altruism.
- An innate impulse to understand the unknown.
- The fundamental will to survive.
Individual vs. Social Experience: While every individual possesses the agency to determine their own personal response to a crisis, their experience is heavily influenced by social factors. These determining factors include:
- Gender.
- Race.
- Social Class.
The Role of Science: A critical understanding is that scientific knowledge is indispensable for effectively addressing and resolving medical crises.
Catalysts for Change: Crises often serve as powerful catalysts for positive transformations within individuals, the broader society, and the field of medicine.

Historical Context of Philadelphia: Students are expected to describe various aspects of life in Philadelphia during the late eighteenth century ( $1793$ ), such as:
- Living conditions within the city.
- Existing political structures.
- Prevailing social norms.
The Infectious Cycle: Explain how the epidemic was shaped by these environmental and social factors, and conversely, how the epidemic altered those factors.
Medical Practices and Scientific Limitations: Analyze how eighteenth-century medical practices and the contemporary lack of scientific understanding contributed to the spread and the deleterious (harmful) effects of the epidemic.
Evolution of Understanding: Identify how the crisis provided a unique opportunity to deepen scientific knowledge and improve future medical responses.
Individual and Crisis Interaction: Analyze the reciprocal relationship between individuals and the crisis—how specific individuals influenced the development of the crisis and how the crisis, in turn, impacted those individuals.
Societal Roles: Describe the specific roles of race, gender, and social class in early American society and analyze their influence on an individual's experience during the yellow fever outbreak.
Academic Research: Gain an understanding of the purposes, benefits, and formal processes involved in academic research.

Informational/Historical Account: An American Plague by Jim Murphy. This text serves as a factual foundation for understanding the events of $1793$ .
Literary/Novel: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. This novel provides a narrative perspective on the epidemic.
Visual Art (Painting): The Artist in His Museum by Charles Willson Peale. Available at: http://witeng.link/0389.

Author Interview: ‐‐Q & A,‐‐ Jim Murphy. Available at: http://witeng.link/0407.
Historical Overview: ‐‐The Yellow Fever Epidemic in Philadelphia, 1793,‐‐ Harvard University Library Open Collections Program. Available at: http://witeng.link/0386.
Medical Background: ‐‐Yellow Fever,‐‐ U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: http://witeng.link/0399.
Contemporary Health Data: ‐‐Yellow Fever: Symptoms and Treatment,‐‐ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Available at: http://witeng.link/0387.

Historical Film: Philadelphia: The Great Experiment, produced by History Making Productions. Available at: http://witeng.link/0412.
Museum Interior Painting: The Long Room, Interior of Front Room in Peale’s Museum by Charles Willson Peale. Available at: http://witeng.link/0391.
Poetry: ‐‐Invictus‐‐ by William Ernest Henley. Available at: http://witeng.link/0413.
Poetry Reading Video: ‐‐Invictus‐‐ video reading, performed by Morgan Freeman. Available at: http://witeng.link/0414.
Thesis Presentation Video: ‐‐2014 Three Minute Thesis Winning Presentation,‐‐ Emily Johnston. Available at: http://witeng.link/0398.