Do you know who Benjanmin Rush was?

Question

Benjanmin Rush from the American Revolution era to be more specific. He is one my ancestors but most people have never heard of him, but he was an important figure in American history. So I just want to find out who knows info about him. The person who gives me the most info gets the best answer. Easy 10 points, all it takes is a google search?

Answer 1

Benjamin Rush (December 24, 1745 – April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a devout Christian, physician, writer, educator, and humanitarian, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Rush was also a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and attended the Continental Congress. Later in life, he became a professor of medical theory and clinical practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Despite having a wide influence on the development of American government, he is not as widely known as many of his American contemporaries. Rush was also an early opponent of slavery and capital punishment.

Despite his great contributions to early American society, Rush is today most famous as the man who, in 1812, helped reconcile the friendship of two of the largest minds of the early Republic: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.[1][clarify]

Answer 2

Without the google search, I can recall that Rush was a member of the Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a Doctor (surgeon, I believe).  He was an abolitionist, as well.  

That's really all I recall right off the bat.

Answer 3

Before I saw this question, I knew who he was. A founding father, part of Continental Congress. He quite often visited the Army, although he was part of the so called "Conway Cabal" which was when a few people tried to overthrow Washington in the army, but it failed. He said he regretted taking part in it year later.

Anyways, I just happened to be reading about him the other day in "Washington's Crossing" by David Hackett Fischer. He visited Washington before the Battle of Trenton and saw Washington's note of "Victory or Death", fall on the floor. It was  the password for the attack. Then he took part of a midnight ride to dispatch information to Robert Morris I believe, who helped supply the army.

I'm pretty sure he was "Doctor" Benjamin Rush.

Edit:Sometimes it annoys me when people just go to wikipedia and copy and paste an answer...

Answer 4

Benjamin Rush was much like a fellow Philladephian Ben - - - a very complex person, scientifically inclined and rather forward in his thinking.  Though most widely known as a Physician, Rush deserves kudos for his sharp incisive writing and his unceasing patriotism as well as for his passion for teaching and insistence that learning was the key to a better citizendry.  As an abolitionist before it was popular (was it ever popular - - -?), Rush worked to undermine that vile practice and spoke passionately about the need for up-lifting all citizens and eliminating the causes of poverty.  Rush ought to be more widely known for he had a colorful personality which it is admitted led him into a few famous conflicts but all the more revealing of his passionate nature.  I could blather on but will include a snippet that is well written - - -  that said there are at least three truly good bios floating about that I would recomend..

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/sig...

""""December 24, 1745

Birthplace: Byberry, Pennsylvania.

Education: B.A. at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), M.D. at the University of Edinburgh (Physician)

Work: Physician, Professor of Chemistry at the College of Philadelphia, 1769; Writer, Member of the Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia, 1773...; Elected to Pennsylvania provincial conference, Elected to Continental Congress, 1776; Appointed Surgeon-general to the armies of the middle department (of the Continental Army), 1777; Instructor, Physician, University of the State of Pennsylvania, 1778...; Treasurer of the U.S. Mint, 1779-1813; Professor of medical theory and clinical practice, University of Pennsylvania, 1791-1813

Died: April 19, 1813

Benjamin Rush, eminent Physician, writer, educator, humanitarian, is as interesting a figure as one could find in the formation of the United States. A wildly popular and much loved man, he was nonetheless a fallible character. He was born in December of 1745 in Byberry, Pennsylvania, some twelve miles from Philadelphia. His father died when Benjamin was six, and his mother placed him in the care of his maternal uncle Dr. Finley who became his teacher and advisor for many years. In 1759 he attended the College of Philadelphia, where he ultimately attained a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his education with a Dr. Redman of Philadelphia for four years and then crossed the Atlantic to attend to an M.D. at Edinburgh. He spent several years in Europe studying and practicing Medicine, French, Italian, Spanish, and science. He returned in 1769, opened a private practice in Philadelphia, and was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the College of Philadelphia.

Benjamin Rush was soon beloved in the city, where he practiced extensively amongst the poor. His practice was successful, his classes were popular, and he further began to engage in writing that would prove to be of considerable importance to the emerging nation. Rush published the first American textbook on Chemistry. In 1773 he contributed editorial assays to the papers about the Patriot cause and also joined the American Philosophical Society. He was active in the Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia during that time. In June of 1776 he was elected to attend the provincial conference to send delegates to the Continental Congress. He was appointed to represent Philadelphia that year and so signed the Declaration of Independence. In 1777 he was appointed surgeon-general of the middle department of the Continental Army. This office led to some trouble for him; he was critical of the administration of the Army Medical service under Dr. William Shippen. He complained to Washington, who deferred to the Congress. Ultimately Congress upheld Shippen and Rush resigned in disgust. As the war continued and Army forces under General Washington suffered a series of defeats, Rush secretly campaigned for removal of Washington as commander in chief, and went so far as to write an anonymous letter to then Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia. He was caught in the act and confronted by Washington, at which point he bowed out of any activities related to the war.

In 1789 he wrote in Philadelphia newspapers in favor of adopting the Federal constitution. He was then elected to the Pennsylvania convention which adopted that constitution. He was appointed treasurer of the US Mint where he served from 1797 to 1813.

Rush's teaching career and medical practice continued till the end of his life. He became the Professor of medical theory and clinical practice at the consolidated University of Pennsylvania in 1791, where he was a popular figure at the height of his influence in medicine and in social circles. He was also a social activist, a prominent advocate for the abolition of slavery, an advocate for scientific education for the masses, including women, and for public medical clinics to treat the poor.

Benjamin Rush was a regular writer, and many notes about the less well known sign