The 1878 yellow fever epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee: An historical geographic information systems (HGIS) approach

Abstract

In 1878, one of the worst yellow fever epidemics in the history of the United States struck Memphis, Tennessee. This study uses geographic information systems (GIS) to trace the spread of yellow fever during the epidemic by identifying and analyzing areas of disease mortality across time. Methods from geography, history, and epidemiology are employed in a multidisciplinary examination of this catastrophic event. This work contributes new knowledge about the epidemic, provides a methodological expansion to the subfield of historical geographic information systems (HGIS), and it identifies and corrects an error in an important primary source. This study demonstrates the importance of GIS as a tool in historical research and shows how it can enhance the understanding of historical events.

Keywords: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Historical Geographic Information Systems (HGIS), Yellow Fever, 1878 Yellow Fever Epidemic, Memphis.