- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
Benjamin Rush
RUSH, Benjamin, physician, educator, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, born in Byberry, Pa., 24 December, 1745; died in Philadelphia, Pa., 19 April, 1813.
He graduated from Princeton in 1760 and studied medicine in Edinburgh. Rush became a leading physician in Philadelphia and was elected to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence.
He served as Surgeon-General of the Continental Army and later helped found Dickinson College. Rush was a pioneer in mental health reform and medical education, and he published extensively on medicine, politics, and social issues.
Known as the “father of American psychiatry,” Rush combined Enlightenment ideals with civic activism. His legacy spans science, education, and public health.
Source:
Wilson, James Grant, and John Fiske, eds. Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1887. Patriot Echoes Archive
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