Dr. Benjamin Rush may only be the second most famous Benjamin from Philadelphia, but his impact on this nation was revolutionary. Much of our current medical understanding of mental health and addiction started with him. He was a passionate writer and patriot. Dr. Rush championed political reforms that our country has just recently been catching up to, such as criminal justice reform. His social advocacy is just as impressive, as he was an early proponent of women’s education through “Republican Motherhood.”
Still, perhaps his most significant contribution come later in his life, as he devoted his final years healing the broken friendship of the two titans of the revolution, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. In doing so, he managed to provide the nation with a pathway forward.
Podcast: Download
