Death In Yellow Part 1 (Ep18)

It was perhaps the greatest calamity of the newly constituted United States, and it struck the capital city. In 1793, an epidemic of yellow fever decimated Philadelphia, and caused President George Washington and Congress to flee the virus. By the end of the outbreak, about 10% of the city’s population had died of the disease. Three important people stayed in the City to fight the disease: Dr. Benjamin Rush, a founding father later known as America’s Hippocrates; and African American preachers Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, both former slaves from Delaware. This episode explains who these three men were, and why they were among those who stayed to help. Timestamps for major events/discussions: [02:41] – Birth and upbringing of Benjamin Rush [05:06] – Medicine and medical training in America in the mid-to-late 1700s [07:46] – Yellow fever explained [12:16] – Aspiring Dr. Rush studies abroad [15:15] – Returning to Philadelphia, Rush begins his career [21:47] – Rush and the Continental Congress [29:40] – The Army gains a surgeon general in Rush [33:58] – Rush’s growing frustration with the Army, in more ways than one [39:10] – Return to private practice [41:17] – Rush’s focus on treating the mentally ill [45:57] – Reverend Absalom Jones – his origin story [48:13] – Reverend Richard Allen – his origin story Books to read: Some sources that were consulted to write this episode include • Rush: Revolution, Madness and the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father by Stephen Fried, Crown Publishing, 2018 • The pamphlet A Short Account of the Malignant Fever Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia by Matthew Carey, 1793. • The pamphlet A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People, During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia, in the year 1793: And a Refutation of Some Censures Thrown upon then in some late Publications by Absalom Jones and Richard Allen, 1794. Calls to action: • Follow us on Instagram to learn when new episodes drop or to be a part of our chat community IG: pennsylmaniapod • Join our email list to receive news on the podcast by emailing us at [email protected] • Provide feedback on this episode, or give us ideas for new episodes, by emailing us at [email protected] Link to website: www.pennsylmania.com