Dr. Benjamin Rush

Full of energy and opinions, Dr. Benjamin Rush identified the first cases of yellow fever and worked at Bush Hill. He “opposed slavery, felt that alcohol and tobacco should be avoided, urged that the corporal punishment of children be stopped, and thought that the best way to keep a democracy strong was by having universal education.” As the most prominent doctor in this book, he was dubbed “Prince of Bleeders” for his aggressive bloodletting techniques. He was likewise famous for his “Ten-and-Ten” purge, by which the patient would swallow ten grains of calomel (mercury) and ten grains of jalap (a poisonous root). His often-quoted letters to his wife allow the reader to see Rush’s absolute determination to find a cure for the plague.

Mayor Matthew Clarkson

Together with twelve other Philadelphians, Mayor Matthew Clarkson shepherded the city through the very worst of the plague. A sixty-year-old man, he provided leadership even while he mourned loss of his wife and his youngest son. The title of mayor was largely honorific at the time of his service.

Israel Israel

Israel was a devoted Philadelphian and member of the Committee of 12. He spearheaded efforts to take care of the children orphaned in the epidemic. He also inspected burial procedures and arranged for the harvest of grain at Bush Hill. He commanded the Committee of Distribution, the group responsible for handing out food, clothes, and firewood. He ran three times for the state legislature and finally won in 1797. His reforms always stressed a commitment to the poor.

Stephen Girard

Stephen Girard was a French-born merchant and banker who stayed in Philadelphia to care for the sick during the epidemic. He brought to Bush Hill “a calm personality, a steely determination, and an unerring sense of organization.” He was a key administrator at Bush Hill.

Peter Helm

Peter Helm was a citizen who brought many outstanding qualities to his work at Bush Hill, including “an established work ethic, an endless supply of kindness, and an indomitable spiritual courage.” He worked with Stephen Girard to help run Bush Hill.

Absalom Jones

Absalom Jones was a leading member of the Free African Society who was of great service to the mayor and the citizens of Philadelphia. He and his partner, Richard Allen, were in contact with over three hundred Black nurses.

Richard Allen

Richard Allen was, alongside Absalom Jones, a leading member of the Free African Society and in that role proved immensely helpful to epidemic-ridden Philadelphia. He and his partner, Absalom Jones, helped organize over three hundred Black nurses to help patients.

Elizabeth Drinker

Elizabeth Drinker’s journal entries from the time of plague are a key primary source for An American Plague. Her entries are woven throughout the book to allow readers to view the plague from an ordinary citizen’s point of view. She spots trouble early on: “‘Tis really an alarming and serious time.”

George Washington

George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. Washington traveled to Mount Vernon when the epidemic was announced. He returned six weeks later to see how Philadelphia was faring. In the six weeks he was away, he received very little communication about the state of the provisional capital.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was secretary of state during the yellow fever epidemic. He returned to Philadelphia at approximately the same time as George Washington.

Henry Knox

Henry Knox was the secretary of war. He was supposed to provide weekly reports to George Washington but moved out of Philadelphia with his family.

Edmond Charles Genêt

Genêt was the new minister of...