This came to me from the WRIGHT-L and I thought it worthy of passing on to all list I am subscribed to. In case you ever wondered why a large number of your ancestors disappeared during a certain period in history, this might help. Epidemics have always had a great influence on people - and thus influencing as well, the genealogists trying to trace them. Many cases of people disappearing from records can be traced to their dying during an epidemic or moving away from the affected area. U.S. Epidemics http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001460.html Plagues &Epidemics (from Plumber.com) http://www.theplumber.com/plague.html The American Experience: Influenza 1918 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/ Plague and Epidemic in Renaissance Europe http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/osheim/ If you have other epidemic links you like, please share here with us. Periods of Disease Year(s) / Region, Area, City or State / Disease 1657 / Boston / Measles 1687 / Boston / Measles 1690 / New York / Yellow Fever 1713 / Boston / Measles 1729 / Boston / Measles 1732-1733 / Worldwide / Influenza 1738 / South Carolina / Smallpox 1739-1740 / Boston / Measles 1747 / Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina / Smallpox 1759 / North America / Measles 1761 / North America and West Indies / Influenza 1772 / North America / Measles 1775 / North America (especially in North East) / Unknown 1775-1776 / Worldwide / Influenza 1783 / Dover, Delaware (was extremely fatal) / Bilious Disorder 1788 / Philadelphia and New York / Measles 1793 / Vermont / (a "putrid" fever) and Influenza 1793 / Virginia (killed 500 in 5 counties in 4 weeks) / Influenza 1793 / Philadelphia / Yellow Fever 1793 / Harrisburg, PA (many unexplained deaths) / Unknown 1793 / Middletown, Pennsylvania (many mysterious deaths) / Unknown 1794 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Yellow Fever 1796-1797 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Yellow Fever 1798 / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (one of the worst) / Yellow Fever 1803 / New York / Yellow Fever 1820-1823 / Nationwide (started at Schuylkill River &spread) / "Fever" 1831-1832 / Nationwide (brought in by English Immigrants) / Asiatic Cholera 1832 / New York and other major cities / Cholera 1833 / Columbus, Ohio / Cholera 1833-34 / Kentucky / Cholera 1834 / New York City, New York / Cholera 1837 / Philadelphia / Typhus 1841 / Nationwide (especially severe in the South) / Yellow Fever 1847 / New Orleans / Yellow Fever 1847-1848 / Worldwide / Influenza 1848-1849 / North America / Cholera 1849 / New York / Chole