Any comments on the historical accuracy of the smallpox inoculation scene? It certainly made the decision to get one's family inoculated seem almost as portentous as declaring independence from Britain. The ailing victim clutching at the cross in the back of the wagon while the doctor mines her for vaccine matter certainly upped the ick factor, but is this depiction really true-to-life?

I've not seen the mini-series, but in the book "Dearest Friend" by Lynn Withey, she does go into detail about the inoculations. These were heavy duty decisions. The inoculations themselves carried big risk and made people ill - and to subject children to it was, indeed, a very big risk. I do believe there was much soul searching at the time whether to take the inoculations or not. I can't recall exactly all the details, but if you pick up the book at the library or elsewhere and thumb through it I am sure you will be able to find the area when the smallpox inoculations were mentioned.