After the end of World War I, American citizens joyfully celebrated welcoming American soldiers back home. What Americans failed to realize was that the end of World War I was only the beginning of a year of devastation. Upon returning from the front, the soldiers were not only welcomed home by American citizens, but also introduced a new threat that led to great desolation throughout the American nation. After the army returned, reported cases of influenza increased significantly. The flu was different from other illnesses people faced because it differed genetically from previous flus. At first, this was not a concern since doctors had already obtained flu shots and treatments. What these doctors failed to take into account is that every year the flu changes because it becomes resistant to antibiotics and its genetic marker changes. This has led to the importance of locating the source of the virus. Due to lack of preparation and technological knowledge in 1918, the plague easily spread across the United States at a rapid speed, threatening the lives of many citizens. Because it caused such widespread fear and illness among the American public, it encouraged scientists and doctors to discover a cure to prevent more deaths. When researching the original cause of the plague and the cure for it, which was essential to avoid spreading and causing further damage, this influenced the creation of new technologies helping to prevent an epidemic similar to the future. There are many theories about how the plague was caused. the plague has started. It is widely believed that influenza originally emerged in Asia, as many pandemics prior to 1918 began in the Asian region. ...... middle of paper ......al Archives and Records Administration. “The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918.” Last accessed April 21, 2014. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/.1. Alfred W. Crosby, America's Forgotten Pandemic. New York, Cambridge University Press, 2003.2. Barry, John M. The Great Flu: The Epic Story of History's Deadliest Plague. New York, Penguin Group (United States), January 25, 2005.3. “The 1918 flu pandemic.” Last modified February 2005, http://virus.stanford.edu/uda/.4. United States Department of Health and Human Services. “The great pandemic: the United States in 1918-1919”. Last accessed April 21, 2014. http://www.flu.gov/pandemic/history/1918/index.html. Jeffery K. Taubenberger and David Morens, 1918 Influenza: The Mother of All Pandemics, Emerging Infectious Disease Journal (2006): Volume 12, doi: 10.3201/eid1201.050979.