How diseases and history are intertwined
By Isabella Backman Today, the average American is unlikely to spend time worrying about malaria. Although the disease is commonly perceived to be restricted to other parts of the world, it played a significant role in shaping American history. It even helped turn the tide of the American Revolutionary War by infecting so many British soldiers that General Cornwallis was forced to surrender at Yorktown. The painting, The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull, is on display in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. The surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 marked the last major campaign ...
Source: stanford.edu