The Spanish flu did not originate in Newfoundland and Labrador, but the ports, shipping schedules, and global trade relations made it vulnerable.

The Spanish flu of 1918-19 killed between 20 and 40 million people worldwide. It is one of the largest outbreaks of disease in recorded history.

Some of Newfoundland and Labrador's best-known and most destructive disasters occurred during the era of Responsible Government.