Massachusetts pastor's handwritten diary from 1764 sheds light on smallpox outbreaks

The handwritten diary of a pastor in Massachusetts, part of newly digitized records, is now shedding light on smallpox outbreaks in the 1700s.

A highly contagious disease originating far from America's shores triggers deadly outbreaks that spread rapidly, infecting the masses. Shots are available, but a divided public agonizes over getting jabbed. Sound familiar? Newly digitized records - including a minister's diary scanned and posted online by Boston's Congregational Library and Archives - are shedding fresh light on devastating outbreaks of smallpox that hit the city in the 1700s.