Beech Tree News Network

Dr. Benjamin Rush:Benjamin Rush was not only a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but he was a physician, writer, and educator. He was born on December 24, 1745, in Byberry, Pennsylvania. Rush’s father passed away when he was six, and his mother put him in the care of his uncle, Dr. Finley, who was Rush’s teacher and adviser for many years. In 1759, Benjamin Rush attended the College of Philadelphia, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his education by crossing the Atlantic to get an M.D. from Edinburgh, Scotland. After graduating, Dr. Rush spent several years in Europe studying Medicine, French, Italian, Spanish, and Science. In 1769, Dr. Benjamin Rush returned to Philadelphia, set up a private practice, and was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the College of Philadelphia. Dr. Rush went on to publish the first American textbook on Chemistry in 1770.
    By the early 1770s, Dr. Benjamin Rush began to contribute editorial essays about the Patriot cause and became very active in the Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia. Dr. Rush was elected to the Continental Congress on June 1776. During his time in the Continental Congress, Dr. Benjamin Rush made notes about his observations. Many of the notes about lesser-known signers of the Declaration came from the writings of Dr. Rush. In 1777, Benjamin Rush was appointed the surgeon-general of the middle department of the Continental Army. This position caused him some trouble because he was very skeptical of the Army Medical service under Dr. William Shippen. Ultimately, Congress upheld Shippen, and Rush resigned in disgust. Dr. Rush also secretly campaigned for the removal of Washington from Commander-in-Chief, and he went as far as to send an anonymous letter to Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia. Rush was caught in the act and confronted by Washington, after which he bowed out of any war-related activities.
    In 1789, as the Constitution was being ratified, Dr. Rush wrote in Philadelphia newspapers in favor of adopting the new Constitution. Afterward, he was appointed to the Pennsylvania convention which adopted the Constitution. Dr. Benjamin Rush was appointed the treasurer of the U.S. Mint from 1797 to 1813. Rush’s teaching and medical career also continued until his death. He became the Professor of medical theory and clinical practice at the University of Pennsylvania from 1791 to 1813. Dr. Benjamin Rush died in his Philadelphia home on April 19, 1813, the most celebrated physician in America.