On a summer day in 1898, a family in Dover, Delaware, shared a box of chocolates they received from an anonymous sender. Within days, two of the seven family members were dead; the other five became ill but recovered. The search for the perpetrator soon moved from Delaware to California, where a suspect was quickly identified: Cordelia Botkin.
Focusing on the National Security League, this book chronicles its rise and fall from 1914 to 1922, highlighting its origins as a nationalistic nonprofit aimed at military expansion and meritocracy. Founded by affluent corporate lawyers in New York City, the organization had hidden financial support from the capitalist elite, who sought to profit from World War I while also managing the working class during periods of conflict and stability. The narrative explores the League's influence and eventual decline as a significant force in American society.
Efforts to Control the Great Influenza Pandemic
The book explores the historical context of masking as a public health measure during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918-1919 and its resurgence in 2020. It highlights how masking emerged as a secondary response after initial strategies proved ineffective, shedding light on the decisions made by health officials and political leaders across different jurisdictions. By drawing parallels between the two pandemics, the narrative examines the evolution of public health responses and the implications of masking as a strategy in combating disease.