Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution, one of the most important documents in US history, was signed by 39 delegates in 1787. Of these 39 delegates, two were physicians. One of the physician signatories was Benjamin Rush, a prominent figure in Philadelphia who was also an educator, writer, and humanitarian. Rush was also a social activist and abolitionist who advocated for scientific education for all, including women, and for public medical clinics to treat the poor.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of delegates chosen as representatives to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 | 70 |
| Number of delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787 | 55 |
| Number of delegates who signed the Constitution | 39 |
| Number of physicians among the delegates | 3 |
| Number of physicians who signed the Constitution | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
Two doctors signed the US Constitution
The US Constitution was signed by 39 individuals in 1787, 38 of whom were delegates. Of these 39 individuals, two were doctors. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 had 55 delegates, 39 of whom signed the Constitution.
Benjamin Rush, a prominent figure in Philadelphia, was one of the physician signatories. He was a writer, educator, humanitarian, and abolitionist. Rush was also a social activist who advocated for scientific education for the masses, including women, and for public medical clinics to treat the poor. He was appointed surgeon-general of the middle department of the Continental Army in 1777. During the 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic, Rush treated patients with bleeding, calomel, and other early medicinal techniques. He also helped the city by convincing Richard Allen to ask members of his African Methodist Episcopal Church and other free blacks to perform volunteer aid work for doctors and funeral homes.
The name of the other physician who signed the US Constitution is not known. However, it is worth noting that four of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were physicians, two of whom were famous for their work in medicine, and two for their political activities.
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Four doctors signed the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, had 56 signers, four of whom were physicians. Benjamin Rush, one of the most well-known physicians of his time, was one of the signatories. Rush was a prominent Presbyterian doctor and professor of chemistry in Philadelphia. He was an outspoken abolitionist and advocated for scientific education for all, including women. In addition to his medical career, Rush was also a writer and educator. He was appointed surgeon-general of the middle department of the Continental Army in 1777 and later became the Professor of Medical Theory and Clinical Practice at the University of Pennsylvania in 1791.
Two of the four physicians who signed the Declaration of Independence were famous for their work in medicine, while the other two were better known for their political activities. One of the latter two was Benjamin Rush, who was actively involved in politics and social reform. He was a member of the Sons of Liberty and played a role in sending delegates to the Continental Congress. Rush also influenced Thomas Paine's influential pro-independence pamphlet, "Common Sense."
In addition to his political activities, Rush was a strong advocate for social causes. He was appalled by the slave trade and wrote a pamphlet titled "An Address to the Inhabitants of the British Settlements in America, upon Slave-Keeping" in 1773, which was the first of many attacks on social injustices. Rush argued scientifically that Blacks were not intellectually or morally inferior, and that any evidence to the contrary was a result of the perverted expression of slavery. He also proposed that the U.S. government require the use of the Bible as a textbook in public schools and provide a Bible to every family at public expense.
The other physician-patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence, along with Benjamin Rush, were also notable figures. While their identities are not definitively known, it is likely that they played important roles in the medical field and the founding of the United States. The contributions of these four physicians to the Declaration of Independence and the early years of the United States are a testament to the integral role that doctors played in shaping the nation's history.
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Benjamin Rush was a prominent physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence
Benjamin Rush, born on January 4, 1746, was a prominent physician and Founding Father of the United States. He was also a signatory to the Declaration of Independence, which he described in an 1811 letter to John Adams as a scene of "pensive and awful silence". Rush noted that the delegates, including himself, filed forward somberly to sign what they believed was their "ensuing death warrant".
Rush was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress and served as a surgeon general of the Continental Army. He was also a professor of chemistry, medical theory, and clinical practice at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a leader in Pennsylvania's ratification of the US Constitution in 1788.
Rush was a respected voice against the slave trade and authored the pamphlet "An Address to the Inhabitants of the British Settlements in America, upon Slave-Keeping" in 1773. He was also a social activist and abolitionist, and his social causes included helping during the 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic. He advocated for the use of bloodletting and purging as medical treatments, which were often ineffective and brought patients closer to death. Despite this, he made many outstanding contributions to medicine and social reform.
Benjamin Rush was a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he practiced medicine and was beloved by the city's residents. He was also a regular writer, and his observations on the floor of Congress provide valuable insights into the lives of the less well-known signers of the Declaration of Independence. He died on April 19, 1813, at the age of 68, and was buried in Philadelphia.
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Physicians have played important political roles in the US
Benjamin Rush, born in 1745 in Byberry, Pennsylvania, was a prominent figure in Philadelphia, where he practised medicine among the poor. He was a professor of chemistry and medical theory at the College of Philadelphia, as well as a writer, educator, and humanitarian. Rush was an abolitionist and social activist who wrote a pamphlet in 1773 entitled "An Address to the Inhabitants of the British Settlements in America, upon Slave-Keeping," in which he scientifically argued against the notion that Black people were intellectually or morally inferior. He also proposed that the US government require the use of the Bible as a textbook in public schools and provide an American Bible to every family at public expense.
In addition to signing the Declaration of Independence, Rush represented Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and was appointed treasurer of the US Mint, serving from 1797 to 1813. He was also appointed surgeon-general of the middle department of the Continental Army in 1777, although he resigned due to disagreements with the administration of the Army Medical Service. During the 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic, Rush treated patients with techniques such as bleeding and calomel, which were often ineffective and sometimes harmful. Despite this, he contributed to the city's recovery by convincing Richard Allen to ask members of his African Methodist Episcopal Church and other free blacks to perform volunteer aid work for doctors and funeral homes.
Another physician who played a significant role in the early days of the US was James McClurg. McClurg was a delegate to the Virginia Ratifying Convention in 1788 and was offered the position of Secretary of State by George Washington, which he declined. He also served as the president of the Virginia State Medical Society and was a professor of anatomy and medicine at the College of William and Mary.
In summary, physicians have indeed played important political roles in the US, with four doctors signing the Declaration of Independence and at least two signing the Constitution. These individuals contributed not only to the founding of the nation but also to the development of medicine, social reform, and the abolition of slavery.
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The number of physicians in Congress has fluctuated over time
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 individuals in 1787, two of whom were physicians. This amounts to 5% of the total number of individuals crafting the US Constitution.
The number of physicians in Congress has indeed fluctuated over time. During the first 100 years of Congress (1789–1889), 4.6% of the members were physicians. In 1960, there were 5 physicians in Congress, a number that decreased to 3 in 1970 and 2 in 1990. The number rose to 10 in 2000 and reached a maximum of 21, including one female physician, in 2013. As of 2015, there were 18 physicians in Congress, a number that decreased slightly to 15 in 2017.
The increase in the number of physicians in Congress since the 1990s may be attributed to increasing healthcare spending and increased healthcare reform debate in the United States, leading up to the Healthcare Reform Act.
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Frequently asked questions
Two doctors, comprising 5% of the signatories, signed the US Constitution.
39 people signed the US Constitution.
The doctors who signed the US Constitution were two of the three physicians who attended the convention.
