Royal Philanthropic Expedition of the Smallpox Vaccine, 1800-1820

The Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition was a project of the Enlightenment, and its resulting documentation endorses the Enlightenment principles: the public good, the economic transformation and progress, advancements in science, research and practical application of knowledge, and philanthropy. This venture was a scientific expedition. The documentation shows the organizational capacity of the Administration to fight against smallpox, as well as to protect an important part of the population that lived in Spain, Central and South America, Texas (United States of America), the Philippines, and the Pacific, Macau (Portugal) and Guangzhou (China). These documents prove that the Expedition of the smallpox vaccine to America must be placed into the context of the European scientific progress.