The Flags and Organizations Under Which It Has Served
Exhibit Credits
Today it is not easy to recognize the vast importance and close ties
that public health and maritime health had in earlier American history.
Originally, the Colonies were only seaports on the Atlantic Coast,
with outlying dependencies.
Interconnection was by ship.
The Colonies had strict local sanitation laws and were
keenly aware of the disease threat carried by ships and sailors.
Their entry into ports was controlled by local laws as early as 1699,
when Philadelphia traced it first yellow fever epidemic to
a ship from Barbados and passed "An act to prevent Sickly Vessels
from Coming into this Government."
During the 1700's "health officers" were appointed by communities to
enforce maritime quarantine laws.
Ships suspected of carrying contagious disease were held in
isolation for a period of 40 days.
To show this quarantine,
ships were required to fly a yellow flag.
The yellow background of the U.S. Public Health Service flag commemorates
this history.
Many colonial towns, like Fredricksburg, Virginia,
were founded as far inland as ships could navigate.
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