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# Rabbit Hole/Reference for Fellow Writers and History Buffs and Genealogists
- URL: https://there-might-be-cupcakes-podcast.ghost.io/epidemics-13/
- Published: 2025-07-05T16:48:06.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-12T14:11:30.000Z
- Description: Foundation of American with Major Epidemics
- Author: Carla Pettigrew
- Tags: history, First Nations, Kim E. Nielsen, Roland G. Robertson, Gerald N. Grob, House of Hanover, House of Stuart, Stuart, Hanover, Newsletter, genealogy, epidemics, thirteen colonies, War of Independence, 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, Mr. Curtis Project

aka, I did a thing again.

I got my DNA back from Ancestry, which is a different topic for a different post, but on the other side, Ancestry has been serving me all these listicles of dates and events. Don't threaten me with a good time.

I figured combining them might be 1) fascinating or at least 2) helpful for my fellow writers and/or genealogists and/or history nerds.

So here's two lists: The first is the combination of the foundation of the first thirteen colonies of the United States combined with the first concurrent major epidemics. I carried it, but not the states, to the introduction of cholera, so we'd know not to write about it before that date. If anyone is interested, I can expand and insert the rest of the states' dates up to that major epidemic, and mayhems push it to the twentieth century? Let me know.

The second version of the list, following, includes the British rules at the time, for historical clarity.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive with regards to the epidemics and their devastating effect on the peoples of the First Nations. [Here's more info](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native%5FAmerican%5Fdisease%5Fand%5Fepidemics), along with a couple of reading recommendations:

[A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen](https://bookshop.org/a/6560/9780807022047)

[Rotting Face: Smallpox and the American Indian by Roland G. Robertson](https://bookshop.org/a/6560/9780870044199)

[The Deadly Truth: A History of Disease in America by Gerald N. Grob](https://bookshop.org/a/6560/9780674017573)

.I hope, if this doesn't at least help you with your work or hobby, it interests you.

### Thirteen Colonies of British America: 

New England:

1. New Hampshire
2. Massachusetts
3. Rhode Island
4. Connecticut

Middle Colonies:

1. New York
2. New Jersey
3. Pennsylvania
4. Delaware

Southern Colonies:

1. Maryland
2. Virginia
3. North Carolina
4. South Carolina
5. Georgia

## The Thirteen Colonies and Major Epidemics Timeline

- 1607 Virginia Colony formation
- 1617-1619 [**Smallpox**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%5Fof%5Fsmallpox) epidemic Massachusetts Bay Colony
- 1620 Massachusetts Colony formation
- 1633 **Smallpox** epidemic Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts
- 1634 Maryland Colony formation
- 1634 **Smallpox** epidemic Mohawk Nation
- 1635 Connecticut Colony formation
- 1636 **Smallpox** epidemic Lake Ontario tribes
- 1637 Rhode Island Colony formation
- 1638 Delaware Colony formation
- 1653 North Carolina Colony formation
- 1657 [**Measles**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measles) epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1663 South Carolina Colony formation
- 1664 New Jersey Colony formation
- 1664 New York Colony formation
- 1679 **Smallpox** epidemic Iroquois Nation
- 1682 Pennsylvania Colony formation
- 1690 [**Yellow fever**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%5Fof%5Fyellow%5Ffever) epidemic New York City
- 1692 New Hampshire Colony formation
- 1698 **Smallpox** epidemic Quapaw Arkansas Nation
- 1713-1722 **Measles** epidemic New England
- 1721-1722 **Smallpox** epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1729 **Measles** epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1732 [**Influenza**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza) **epidemic all colonies**
- 1732 Georgia Colony formation
- 1737 **Yellow fever** epidemic Virginia
- 1738 **Smallpox** epidemic South Carolina
- 1739-1740 **Measles** epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1747 **Measles** epidemic Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
- 1756 **Smallpox** epidemic Lenape tribes
- 1763-1764 **Smallpox** epidemic Ohio Valley tribes
- 1775-1783 American War of Independence
- 1775-1782 **Smallpox epidemic entire continent, from Alaska area to Mexico**
- 1829 **Cholera** appeared in North America
- 1832 [Cholera epidemic all of America, known as the "plague of the nineteenth century"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%5Fof%5Fcholera)

### Expanded to include cocurrent British rulers

1603-1714: House of Stuart

- 1603-1625 Jacobean era: James I/VI (James Charles Stuart); English Civil War
- 1607 Virginia Colony formation
- 1617-1619 [**Smallpox**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%5Fof%5Fsmallpox) epidemic Massachusetts Bay Colony
- 1620 Massachusetts Colony formation
- 1625-1649 Caroline era: Charles I (second son of James I/VI)
- 1633 **Smallpox** epidemic Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts
- 1634 Maryland Colony formation
- 1634 **Smallpox** epidemic Mohawk Nation
- 1649-1660 Interregnum era: period between execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 and arrival of Charles II on 29 May 1660; Commonwealth governed by by Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, then his son, Richard Cromwell
- 1635 Connecticut Colony formation
- 1636 **Smallpox** epidemic Lake Ontario tribes
- 1637 Rhode Island Colony formation
- 1638 Delaware Colony formation
- 1653 North Carolina Colony formation
- 1657 [**Measles**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measles) epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1660-1660 Restoration era: Charles II; James II/VII; William III/II and Mary II
- 1663 South Carolina Colony formation
- 1664 New Jersey Colony formation
- 1664 New York Colony formation
- 1679 **Smallpox** epidemic Iroquois Nation
- 1682 Pennsylvania Colony formation
- 1690 [**Yellow fever**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%5Fof%5Fyellow%5Ffever) epidemic New York City
- 1692 New Hampshire Colony formation
- 1698 **Smallpox** epidemic Quapaw Arkansas Nation
- 1707 Acts of Union Anne I
- 1713-1722 **Measles** epidemic New England 1714-1837

House of Hanover/Georgian period

- 1714-1727 George I
- 1721-1722 **Smallpox** epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1727-1760 George II (George Augustus)
- 1729 **Measles** epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1732 [\*\*Influenza](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza) epidemic all colonies\*\*
- 1732 Georgia Colony formation
- 1737 **Yellow fever** epidemic Virginia
- 1738 **Smallpox** epidemic South Carolina
- 1739-1740 **Measles** epidemic Boston, Massachusetts
- 1747 **Measles** epidemic Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
- 1756 **Smallpox** epidemic Lenape tribes
- 1760-1820 George III (George William Frederick) and Queen Charlotte
- 1763-1764 **Smallpox** epidemic Ohio Valley tribes
- 1775-1783 American War of Independence
- 1775-1782 **Smallpox epidemic entire continent, from Alaska area to Mexico**
- 1800 Acts of Union UK
- 1829 **Cholera** appeared in North America
- 1832 [Cholera epidemic all of America, known as the "plague of the nineteenth century"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History%5Fof%5Fcholera)

Be extra kind to each other. It's how you find your cupcakes in this upside-down world right now. Be safe. Sending love.