Part One: Isabel Zendal
This is the first part of a series of three articles that aim to uncover the history of its two main protagonists and describe the beautiful adventure that was officially called: The Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition, which aimed to bring the smallpox vaccine to all territories under the Spanish Crown, including the Americas and the Philippines. This expedition was sponsored and funded by Charles IV and led by Francisco Javier Balmis, a physician in the Spanish Army, José Salvany, and our heroine today, Isabel Zendal, whose role was crucial in caring for the children and preserving the vaccine during the journey.
My intention is to introduce those who have never heard of this expedition to its story and its protagonists. There is extensive literature on this expedition.
Like other historical figures, the place and date of her birth vary depending on the author. Some say Isabel was born in 1771 in Santa Mariña de Parada, a small Galician village near La Coruña, while others claim she was born in San Andrés de Comesaña, also a small Galician village, in 1773. She was the eldest of seven siblings, which was not uncommon at the time. When her mother, María Gomez, passed away when Isabel was thirteen, she had to take on the responsibility of caring for her siblings at such a young age, gaining substantial experience in handling children.
There are many biographies of Isabel Zendal, some even denying that this was her real name. She was managing her humble household when she fell in love with a soldier serving in Galicia, and on July 31, 1793, her son Benito Vélez was born. Isabel raised him with the dishonorable social status of a single mother, as it was viewed at the time. Her father, Jacobo Zendal, feeling that the family honor was irreparably damaged, expelled Isabel from the house for having an illegitimate child under the laws of that era. She had no choice but to leave her village and move to La Coruña. Interestingly, under the laws of that time, "natural illegitimate" children were those born to parents who could have married, while "non-natural illegitimate" children were born to parents who could not marry each other. This distinction is important because Isabel Zendal managed to get King Charles IV to erase the illegitimate status from Benito's record, a crucial condition for her to join the expedition. This anecdote illustrates the determination of this woman.
In La Coruña, Isabel was fortunate to find employment as a maid in the house of the Counts of Montaos. Her work and dedication were so impressive that when the position of director of the Casa de Expósitos (Foundling Home) became vacant, the Counts enthusiastically recommended her as the ideal person to run the institution. This fact would become crucial later on, as during the organization of the Expedition, it was concluded that the only way to maintain the vaccine during the long journey to America and the Philippines was through successive inoculations of children. But whose children? Which parents would authorize the inoculation of such a dangerous virus into their children? What did they know about vaccines? And the journey across the "Mare Tenebrosum"?
This first part sets the stage for understanding the incredible contributions of Isabel Zendal to the success of the Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition.
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