Past Pandemics: James K. Polk and the Cholera Pandemics
In the first half of the 19th century the world was hit with at least three widespread outbreaks of cholera, an infection of the small intestine caused by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from very mild to severe, including diarrhea that lasts for days, vomiting and muscle cramps. The diarrhea can be so severe that within hours it can cause severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. It manifests itself in the recipient in sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet. Dehydration can cause the skin to turn bluish.
Cholera is spread mostly by unsafe water and unsafe food that has been contaminated with bacteria present in fecal matter. Undercooked seafood is a common source. Humans are the only animal affected. The risk for the disease is greater in areas that have poor sanitation, and not enough clean drinking water, conditions that existed in and around Washington, DC in first half of the 1800s.
The first cholera pandemic took place between 1817 and 1824. It began near Calcutta and spread throughout Southeast Asia to the Middle East, eastern Africa, and the Mediterranean coast. This outbreak went further; it reached as far as China and the Mediterranean Sea before receding. It doesn't seem to have reached North America.
The second pandemic began, like the first, along the Ganges Delta in India. From there, the disease spread along trade routes, reaching China, Japan and the Middle East. It spread into Russia and then to the rest of Europe, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The epidemic reached Great Britain in December 1831. Its first reports in North America were in Canada, specifically in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The first reports in the United States were in Detroit and New York City, and it reached the Pacific Coast of North America between 1832 and 1834.
The third cholera pandemic began in 1846 and lasted until 1860. Once again originated in India and spread quickly. It was believed to have spread to the United States by being carried by Irish immigrant ships and it quickly spread throughout the Mississippi river system, killing over 4,500 in St. Louis and over 3,000 in New Orleans. Thousands of people died in New York from the disease, as this was a major destination for Irish immigrants.
An outbreak of the disease struck Nashville in 1849, just as President James K. Polk was completing his term in office. Polk's time in the White House took its toll on his health. Polk had began his presidency in 1845, full of enthusiasm and energy. He was a notorious workaholic and micro-manager who never took vacations and who placed little trust in subordinates. The intense workload took a toll on his health and when Polk left office in 1849, he looked like he had aged considerably more than the four years of his term. Polk left the presidency exhausted, looking gaunt and emaciated. His hair had greyed and thinned, his eyes sank deeper into their sockets, and he looked very gaunt.
Polk left Washington on March 6, intending to take the long way home to Nashville by going on a pre-arranged triumphal tour of the South, that would end in Nashville where he and first lady Sarah Polk made their home. Two years earlier, Polk had arranged to buy a house there, afterwards dubbed Polk Place. The home had once belonged to his mentor, lawyer Felix Grundy.
James and Sarah Polk travelled down the Atlantic coast, and then headed westward through the Deep South. Polk was enthusiastically received at his many stops and a number of banquets were given in his honor. By the time the Polks reached Alabama, the retiring president was suffering from a bad cold. This coincided with the spread of cholera in the region, and in fact a passenger on Polk's riverboat had died from the disease. It was rumored to be spreading in New Orleans, but Polk decided not to change his plans to stop in the city. Polk was worried about his health, given that he was feeling poorly when he arrived in the city. He considered departing quickly, but opted not to offend those generously offering Louisiana hospitality. Polk was popular in the city, as it had been a point of departure for troops heading to Mexico during the recent war.
By the time the Polks had arrived in the Crescent City, several more passengers on the riverboat up the Mississippi had died of the disease, and Polk felt so ill that he went ashore for four days, staying in a hotel. He saw a doctor there who assured him that he did not have cholera. Polk made the final leg of his journey, arriving in Nashville on April 2, where he was met with a huge reception.
After visit Polk's mother in Columbia, the Polks settled into their new home, Polk Place, in Nashville. By this time Polk was quite exhausted from his travels, but he seemed to regain his energy after getting some rest. But in early June, Polk fell ill again. By most accounts it was cholera.
Polk was seen by several doctors, and in a sickly condition he lingered for several days. Never a religious man, he now chose to be baptized into the Methodist Church, despite the fact that his mother arrived from Columbia with her Presbyterian clergyman. First lady Sarah Polk was also a devout Presbyterian, but James K. Polk was drawn to the Methodist denomination.
On the afternoon of Friday, June 15, Polk died at his Polk Place home in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 53. According to some accounts, his last words before he died were directed to his wife. He is reported to have said "I love you, Sarah, for all eternity, I love you". As Polk's biographer Walter Borneman has noted, whether or not were words were spoken, they represented his true sentiments.
Polk's funeral was held at the McKendree Methodist Church in Nashville. Following his death, Sarah Polk lived at Polk Place for 42 years and died on August 14, 1891. Their house, Polk Place, was demolished in 1901, a decade after Sarah's death. A Polk Presidential museum is located in Columbia. I've visited it twice.
The cholera outbreak continued up to the time of the Civil War. During the California Gold Rush, cholera was transmitted along the California, Mormon and Oregon Trails. Between 6,000 and 12,000 people are believed to have died on their way to Utah and Oregon in the cholera years of 1849–1855. It is believed cholera claimed more than 150,000 victims in the United States during the two pandemics and also claimed 200,000 victims in Mexico.
Cholera is spread mostly by unsafe water and unsafe food that has been contaminated with bacteria present in fecal matter. Undercooked seafood is a common source. Humans are the only animal affected. The risk for the disease is greater in areas that have poor sanitation, and not enough clean drinking water, conditions that existed in and around Washington, DC in first half of the 1800s.
The first cholera pandemic took place between 1817 and 1824. It began near Calcutta and spread throughout Southeast Asia to the Middle East, eastern Africa, and the Mediterranean coast. This outbreak went further; it reached as far as China and the Mediterranean Sea before receding. It doesn't seem to have reached North America.
The second pandemic began, like the first, along the Ganges Delta in India. From there, the disease spread along trade routes, reaching China, Japan and the Middle East. It spread into Russia and then to the rest of Europe, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The epidemic reached Great Britain in December 1831. Its first reports in North America were in Canada, specifically in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The first reports in the United States were in Detroit and New York City, and it reached the Pacific Coast of North America between 1832 and 1834.
The third cholera pandemic began in 1846 and lasted until 1860. Once again originated in India and spread quickly. It was believed to have spread to the United States by being carried by Irish immigrant ships and it quickly spread throughout the Mississippi river system, killing over 4,500 in St. Louis and over 3,000 in New Orleans. Thousands of people died in New York from the disease, as this was a major destination for Irish immigrants.
An outbreak of the disease struck Nashville in 1849, just as President James K. Polk was completing his term in office. Polk's time in the White House took its toll on his health. Polk had began his presidency in 1845, full of enthusiasm and energy. He was a notorious workaholic and micro-manager who never took vacations and who placed little trust in subordinates. The intense workload took a toll on his health and when Polk left office in 1849, he looked like he had aged considerably more than the four years of his term. Polk left the presidency exhausted, looking gaunt and emaciated. His hair had greyed and thinned, his eyes sank deeper into their sockets, and he looked very gaunt.
Polk left Washington on March 6, intending to take the long way home to Nashville by going on a pre-arranged triumphal tour of the South, that would end in Nashville where he and first lady Sarah Polk made their home. Two years earlier, Polk had arranged to buy a house there, afterwards dubbed Polk Place. The home had once belonged to his mentor, lawyer Felix Grundy.
James and Sarah Polk travelled down the Atlantic coast, and then headed westward through the Deep South. Polk was enthusiastically received at his many stops and a number of banquets were given in his honor. By the time the Polks reached Alabama, the retiring president was suffering from a bad cold. This coincided with the spread of cholera in the region, and in fact a passenger on Polk's riverboat had died from the disease. It was rumored to be spreading in New Orleans, but Polk decided not to change his plans to stop in the city. Polk was worried about his health, given that he was feeling poorly when he arrived in the city. He considered departing quickly, but opted not to offend those generously offering Louisiana hospitality. Polk was popular in the city, as it had been a point of departure for troops heading to Mexico during the recent war.
By the time the Polks had arrived in the Crescent City, several more passengers on the riverboat up the Mississippi had died of the disease, and Polk felt so ill that he went ashore for four days, staying in a hotel. He saw a doctor there who assured him that he did not have cholera. Polk made the final leg of his journey, arriving in Nashville on April 2, where he was met with a huge reception.
After visit Polk's mother in Columbia, the Polks settled into their new home, Polk Place, in Nashville. By this time Polk was quite exhausted from his travels, but he seemed to regain his energy after getting some rest. But in early June, Polk fell ill again. By most accounts it was cholera.
Polk was seen by several doctors, and in a sickly condition he lingered for several days. Never a religious man, he now chose to be baptized into the Methodist Church, despite the fact that his mother arrived from Columbia with her Presbyterian clergyman. First lady Sarah Polk was also a devout Presbyterian, but James K. Polk was drawn to the Methodist denomination.
On the afternoon of Friday, June 15, Polk died at his Polk Place home in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 53. According to some accounts, his last words before he died were directed to his wife. He is reported to have said "I love you, Sarah, for all eternity, I love you". As Polk's biographer Walter Borneman has noted, whether or not were words were spoken, they represented his true sentiments.
Polk's funeral was held at the McKendree Methodist Church in Nashville. Following his death, Sarah Polk lived at Polk Place for 42 years and died on August 14, 1891. Their house, Polk Place, was demolished in 1901, a decade after Sarah's death. A Polk Presidential museum is located in Columbia. I've visited it twice.
The cholera outbreak continued up to the time of the Civil War. During the California Gold Rush, cholera was transmitted along the California, Mormon and Oregon Trails. Between 6,000 and 12,000 people are believed to have died on their way to Utah and Oregon in the cholera years of 1849–1855. It is believed cholera claimed more than 150,000 victims in the United States during the two pandemics and also claimed 200,000 victims in Mexico.