Not Your Father's Founders (22 page)

Dover, Delaware
October 7, 1728–June 26, 1784
The Nation's Health above My Own

Caesar Rodney came from an undistinguished family but rose to prominence in Delaware politics through hard work and devotion to a cause. His father, a farmer, died when Caesar was seventeen. Nicholas Ridgely, a clerk of the peace in Kent County, became Caesar's guardian and instilled in the young man a love of politics. After that, not even a cancerous growth that covered a large portion of his face could stop him from fighting for freedom from British rule.

Rodney demonstrated his opposition to British tax legislation and willingness to travel to speak out against it as early as 1765, when he attended the Stamp Act Congress in New York City. That was the same year he joined the Committee of Correspondence, whose job it was to coordinate actions against the British with similar committees in other colonies.

The Stamp Act Congress, October 7–25, 1765, was the first gathering of delegates from different colonies to protest the new British taxation laws. It was a precursor of the Continental Congress.

It was no surprise that Rodney was elected to represent Delaware at the First Continental Congress in 1774.

Rodney soon proved to the other delegates that he could be depended on when needed to further the cause of independence.

Rodney returned to the Congress in 1775 and 1776. When the question of independence arose, he delivered Delaware, although it took a lot of time and effort for him to cast the crucial vote.

As the Second Continental Congress debated whether it should vote for independence in 1776, Rodney was back in Sussex County, Delaware, in his capacity as a militia leader. He was investigating rumors about a possible Tory riot, unaware of the drama that was unfolding in Philadelphia. The last thing he wanted was to travel north to cast a vote.

Caesar Rodney was in poor health in 1776, which was normal for him. Frequent asthma attacks and a spreading cancerous growth on his face that he referred to as “that horrid and most obstinate disorder” were sapping his energy, and he needed some rest to combat the effects of both. But when duty called, Rodney responded. He put his country's health above his own, which was typical of him.

The Delaware contingent at the Second Continental Congress was in disarray. Thomas McKean was in favor of independence; George Read was not. The Congress did not need Delaware's vote for independence, but it preferred a unanimous vote to impress British authorities with their solidarity. McKean sent a note back to Delaware advising Rodney of the stalemate. Rodney hopped on the nearest horse and sped off to Philadelphia on a harrowing ride.

Caesar Rodney's dash to Philadelphia made Paul Revere's famous ride look like a lap around a riding ring. He rode eighty miles overnight between Dover and Philadelphia to ensure that his colony voted yes for independence.

After a few twists and turns, the final vote was 13–0 for independence. Rodney helped save the day—and the country.

Rodney's work was done at the Congress. He returned to Delaware to prepare for his participation in the war.

Delaware played a critical role in the Revolutionary War. The state had a record of always meeting its obligations in supplying troops and materiel. Helping raise those troops and amassing supplies was all that Rodney could do as the fighting continued, with one exception.

On December 26, 1776, General Washington assigned Brigadier General Rodney to command the post at Trenton. His orders were to defend the river crossing at Trenton and send new troops to General Washington. He accomplished both goals, much to Washington's delight.

As the war drew to a close, so did Rodney's political career. Though elected to the national Congress in 1782, he declined because of his poor health. He continued with his responsibilities as Speaker to the Upper House of the Delaware Assembly, but that took a toll on his welfare, too.

Finally, Rodney's lack of attention to his own health caught up with him. He died on or about June 26, 1784.

There was a certain amount of mystery regarding the circumstances of Caesar Rodney's death and burial. There was none, however, about his life. He made sure Delaware voted for independence, for which he will never be forgotten.

Byberry, Pennsylvania
December 24, 1745–April 19, 1813
Bleeding Heart

When Benjamin Rush's father, John, died, Benjamin's mother sent the five-year-old to live with his uncle, Samuel Finley, who ran a private school, West Nottingham Academy, in Maryland. Finley convinced Benjamin to become a doctor.

Rush began his medical studies in Philadelphia, and completed them at the University of Edinburgh. After a brief stay in Europe, he returned to America in 1769 and threw himself into the political struggle for independence.

Rush joined the Sons of Liberty in Philadelphia, began writing political essays advocating independence, and served in the Pennsylvania Provincial Conference. That led to his appointment as a member of the Second Continental Congress in 1776 and his signature on the Declaration of Independence.

One of his major achievements was encouraging Thomas Paine to publish
Common Sense
, which Rush titled. Ever mindful of his reputation in Philadelphia, Rush was relieved that someone other than himself was willing to write such an anti-British political tract.

In 1777, Rush became surgeon general of the middle department of the Continental Army. His penchant for contentiousness on some subjects came to the fore in that capacity. He and Dr. William Shippen Jr., the director general of hospitals for the army, clashed in their views of how the medical service should be run.

Rush blamed Dr. Shippen for the miserable health conditions plaguing the Continental Army. He filed a formal complaint against Shippen, which Congress investigated and rejected.

Rush's biggest gaffe was siding with a group of people who tried to oust General Washington as commander in chief. In 1778, Rush sent an anonymous letter to Patrick Henry campaigning for Washington's removal—forgetting that his distinctive handwriting would easily identify the letter writer as Benjamin Rush. Once the details of his letter emerged, he had one choice. Rush resigned from the army.

Undaunted, Rush resumed his civilian life—as busy as ever. New opportunities abounded for him. He was appointed to the staff of Pennsylvania Hospital in 1783, then elected to the Pennsylvania convention to ratify the new U.S. Constitution, which it did on December 12, 1787. He became professor of medical theory and clinical practice at the University of Pennsylvania in 1791.

He also wrote numerous works on a variety of topics, ranging from
An Account of the Bilious Remitting Yellow Fever
to
Considerations on the Injustice and Impolicy of Punishing Murder by Death
and
Essays, Literary, Moral & Philosophical
.

Among his other accomplishments, Rush established Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons. His hands seemed to be into everything going on in Philadelphia at the end of the eighteenth century.

Rush dropped out of politics as the nineteenth century began. He contented himself with crusading against a variety of causes, among them slavery, alcohol, classical education, and tobacco.

Perhaps Rush's most significant accomplishment as a doctor occurred in 1793, when Philadelphia was ravaged by an outbreak of yellow fever. At one point, there were only three doctors available to treat the 6,000 people affected by the fever. He worked long hours to stem the epidemic. Rush succeeded in doing so by administering a new and improved treatment of calomel and jalap combined. His remedy helped to curb the outbreak.

Amazingly, the yellow fever outbreak did not affect Rush. He worked tirelessly for another twenty years trying to cure other ills, medicinal and social alike. Finally, an unspecified illness led to his death in 1813.