Item Detail
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22833
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0
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0
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English
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The History of Death and Disease in Nauvoo, Illinois from 1837-1869
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Provo, UT
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Brigham Young University
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Honors thesis
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"During the summer of 1839, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began arriving in Commerce Illinois - a sparsely populated stretch of land on the Mississippi River. The Latter-day Saints were weary after a forced expulsion from their homes in Missouri. They hoped to find peace and prosperity in this new land. Commerce was soon transformed into a bustling city and renamed Nauvoo the city beautiful. Many trials accompanied the triumphs of Nauvoo, however. The land was swampy and infested with mosquitoes. Nearly everyone suffered from malaria or other infectious disease, and many died. The following thesis outlines the health conditions in Nauvoo and the major diseases the Latter-day saints faced during their seven-year stay on the Mississippi River. An analysis of their death records yields information about the most deadly seasons of the year, the ages of those most prone to disease, and common causes of death. Despite the hardship the Latter-day Saints endured, they were courageous and triumphant in establishing a temporary home." [Author's abstract]