Signer, Reformer, Abolitionist: The Legacy of Benjamin Rush

In this episode of America’s Founding Series on The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano brings to life the powerful story of Benjamin Rush, a brilliant and provocative Founding Father who helped shape the moral and medical foundation of the United States. As a signer of the Declaration of Independence, an early abolitionist, and the father of American psychiatry, Rush fought for liberty not only with his pen, but through revolutionary ideas on public health, mental illness, and education. From challenging slavery to reconciling Adams and Jefferson, this episode explores how Rush’s fearless voice helped heal a new nation and why his legacy still matters today.

Episode Highlights:

How Benjamin Rush fused Enlightenment ideals with revolutionary action to become one of the most influential and outspoken Founding Fathers
Rush was one of the earliest abolitionists and mentored Black leaders like Richard Allen
The dramatic reconciliation of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson—engineered by Rush behind the scenes

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Timestamps
00:52 The Life and Legacy of Benjamin Rush
01:35 Benjamin Rush Earns a Medical Degree and Becomes a Champion for the Enlightenment
03:56 Signer of the Declaration of Independence
04:45 The Principles of Liberty Were Worth the Sacrifice
06:21 Rush's Fight Against Slavery and Advocacy for Education
08:10 Rush Viewed the American Revolution as an Ongoing Process of Societal Improvement
10:03 He Emphasized the Need for Civic Virtue
11:09 Rush Sought to Reconcile the Rivalry Between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

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