“An untimely frost destroyed the crops; ... being the third year in succession in which that the crops had failed.” — Lucy Mack Smith1
In April 1815, Mount Tambora on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa erupted. Small explosions spat ash and fire for days before the final massive eruption on April 10. The giant explosion destroyed villages and the ash fall caused extensive environmental damage.2
The effects of the Mount Tambora explosion were felt globally, with reduced temperatures in India (which contributed to a cholera epidemic), unusual snowstorms in China, and severe agricultural failures in Europe. This caused widespread food shortages. The unusual weather also sparked cultural and religious responses worldwide. In India, rituals and prayers increased in temples, while Chinese poets reflected on the suffering in their writings. In Europe and North America, there were fears of the apocalypse and God's punishment.2
The eruption's impact continued into the following year, and in North America, 1816 became known as the "year without a summer" due to unseasonal frosts and snowfalls.2 For the Smith Family, the cold weather and untimely frosts meant another crop failure. This was enough for Joseph Sr. whose crops in Vermont over the previous two years had resulted in, as Lucy Mack said, "a perfect failure."3 Joseph Sr. decided it was time to move on to New York.3
