Great Plague Scare of 1720

From 1720 to 1722, the French region of Provence and surrounding areas experienced one of the last major epidemics of plague to strike Western Europe. The Plague of Provence was a major disaster that left in its wake as many as 126,000 deaths, as well as new understandings about the nature of contagion and the best ways to manage its threat. In this transnational study, Cindy Ermus focuses on the social, commercial, and diplomatic impact of the epidemic beyond French borders, examining reactions to this public health crisis from Italy to Great Britain to Spain and the overseas colonies. She reveals how a crisis in one part of the globe can transcend geographic boundaries and influence society, politics, and public health policy in regions far from the epicentre of disaster.

'Ermus's important new study shows how a regional disaster that caused catastrophic loss of life only within Provence and Languedoc created novel opportunities for nation-state authorities to centralize power and implement policies that led to trade advantages over their economic rivals. Plague in Provence provided rulers a powerful tool: fear' Ann G. Carmichael, Indiana University, Bloomington, 'This authoritative account of the impact of the great plague of Provence in the 1720s across Europe, and even across the Atlantic, makes a highly original and immensely rewarding exercise in comparative history on a grand scale.' Paul Slack, Oxford University, 'Based on a wealth of archival sources, Ermus' study provides valuable insight into the global significance of the plague of Marseille and Provence and highlights the long history of the relationship between statecraft and public health management. The Great Plague Scare of 1720 is a timely contribution that deeply resonates in our own age of pandemics and climate change.' Junko Takeda, Syracuse University

Cindy Ermus is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Texas at San Antonio.