Learn all about Benjamin Rush!
Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress, Signer of the Declaration, doctor, author, professor, and more...meet American Patriot Benjamin Rush!
Rush was kind, noble, intelligent, compassionate, and an encouraging friend to the likes of Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and President Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. He even helped prepare Meriwether Lewis for the Corps of Discovery's expedition into the lands of the Louisiana Purchase and beyond.
What an amazing man!
To help you learn more about Benjamin Rush's life and accomplishments, we've compiled a list of books, museums, and educational ideas to help you.
Whether you're a student doing research, a school teacher looking for lesson plan ideas, or a homeschooling mama doing the same, we're here to help!
In addition to this blog post, we offer free printables to help you learn about Benjamin Rush and we would LOVE to mail you our Heritage Letter from him as well. With the letter you'll receive a photo of Rush, a timeline of his life, and a copy a ticket to a public lecture given by Rush at the University of Pennsylvania.
Our Benjamin Rush Letter is the perfect addition to your homeschool history lessons US patriots, the American Revolution, the Lewis and Clark expedition and more!
Get the Heritage Letter from Benjamin Rush!
You can view the lesson plans below and snatch up a copy of the free lesson plans along with our our activities about Benjamin Rush in our free downloads here!
If you’d like a fun introduction to Benjamin Rush 's life that will be engaging and authentic, you can grab our Heritage Letter from him today. It's full of direct quotes, facts about his life and so much more! You'll findt the snail mail letter here or the instant digital download version here.
Places to Visit
National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Find Benjamin Rush's signature on the Declaration of Independence
Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Learn about medicinal plants and herbs in this lovely garden dedicated to Benjamin Rush.
Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia
Learn about Rush and other important figures and events of the American Revolution at this delightful museum. How have I never been to this place before??? It's definitely on my must-see list next time I go to Philly!
Books
Heroes of History:
Benjamin Rush, The Common Good
by Janet & Geoff Benge
Enjoy this wonderful middle grade biography from the Heroes of History Series.
Declaration of Independence
I just can't stress this enough, every home in the US needs to have a copy of our founding documents on hand to read. Grab a copy of the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights ,US Constitution, Articles of Confederation, or your state constitution and give it a read! If you don't already have a copy of our US documents, here's a fun set that includes the Declaration, Bill Of Rights, Constitution, and Amendments!
One Week with Benjamin Rush
Spend a week in your history studies learning about Benjamin Rush's life with our one week of lesson plans!
You'll find all of the ideas below, plus a brochure for your students to fill out about Benjamin Rush, 4 quotes of his to decorate your learning space, and a brief biography in our Benjamin Rush Printables.
Day 1: Hello Benjamin!
Read the Heritage Letter from Benjamin Rush
Watch Today I Found Out’s The Forgotten Founding Father
*As you go through the week, add in reading any books you have about Benjamin Rush, the Declaration of Independence, or the American Revolution. Also, work on filling out the brochure about Rush.
Day 2: Physician
Benjamin Rush was one of the first great doctors in America. Learn more about his medical practices with Dr. Benjamin Rush - The First Great American Physician | Medical History with Dr. Brown
Day 3: Patriot
Learn about the Sons of Liberty with The Stafford Voice’s Sons of Liberty: A History Short
Day 4: Lewis & Clark Expedition
Rush helped prepare Meriwether Lewis for this expedition. Read through the list of tips Rush sent to Lewis via President Jefferson in the free downloads. How helpful do you think they were?
One the treatments Rush recommended contained mercury. The traces of mercury the men left behind them helped modern day archaelogists trace the exact trail of the expedition. Learn more at Lewis & Clark's Expedition Was Way More Messed-Up Than You Think
Day 5: Legacy
Finish your brochure about Benjamin Rush today. What do you think Rush’s greatest accomplishments were?
Additional Research & Resources
Penn Libraries
Founders Online
Rush’s Directions to Meriwether Lewis for Preserving Health, 11 June 1803
Letter from Benjamin Rush to Thomas Jefferson, 11 June 1803
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
Benjamin Rush & Thomas Jefferson
Preparing for the Expedition (Benjamin Rush’s role in preparing Meriwether Lewis)
Discovering Lewis and Clark
Meriwether Lewis’s Medicinal Purchases
Benjamin Rush: Promoter of Useful Knowledge
Rush and the Corps of Discovery
Frontier Army Museum
Medical Treatments on the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Related Heritage Letters
William Clark
Benjamin Franklin
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