July 1, 2016 - It’s History in Five Friday, presented by Simon & Schuster. Check them out at Facebook.com/HistoryInFive.

Today, author Stephen Coss discusses the first disease mankind wiped off the face of the earth: The scourge of Smallpox. Stephen’s debut book is The Fever of 1721: The Epidemic that Revolutionized Medicine and American Politics. In it, we meet historical figures including the young Franklin laboring at his brother’s newspaper, and the Reverend Cotton Mather, seeking redemption from the debacle Salem Witch Trials by evangelizing for the scientific technique of inoculation against strenuous opposition.

You can enjoy our full interview on The Fever of 1721 whenever you enjoy our show, or stream it at HistoryAuthor.com. Today's guest can be found @Coss1Coss on Twitter, or visit him at StephenCoss.com.

History in Five Friday.

It’s the perfect way to kick off your modern weekend… with people from the past.