Background; The 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever Epidemic
In Fall 1793 Philadelphia was gripped with a massive Yellow Fever Epidemic, claiming 5,000 lives. As the disaster set in most people who could fled the city, the rich to their estates and homes elsewhere, the poor to where ever they would be let in. At the time Philadelphia was the capital of the fledgling American republic and as such many politicians who had been staying there for government reasons fled the city as soon as possible. Washington himself wrote to Secretary Knox urging him and his clerks to leave the city. Washington himself was scheduled to leave September 10.
Not With a Bang, but a Whimper
On September 9 George Washington fell very ill while he was packing to leave for Virginia, the next day he tried to convince the doctor treating him, Dr. Astell Kimmons, to allow him to travel, but instead Dr. Kimmons informs Washington he has contracted yellow fever. On September 11 Washington’s conditions deteriorated rapidly and Kimmons contacted Secretary Hamilton, who had just recovered from a minor case of Yellow Fever and as such is the only high ranking federal official left in the city, and advised him that Washington was unlikely to get better and there was a good chance that Washington would be dead within the week. Hamilton sent letters, signed by Washington to ensure its validity*, to all members of Cabinet and Chief Justice John Jay to inform them about Washington’s deteriorating health. Hamilton, who had stayed with Washington and was by his side when he died, reported in a letter to his sister in law Angelica Schuyler dated September 15;
“The President grows worse with each day, his skin is now the same color as the yellow in his uniform from when I served under him during the war, his eyes have red outlines from blood, he keeps muttering something about Charles Lee, the earlier today he jumped up and howled about how he needed more funding from the continental congress to keep fighting, which terrified all in the room. Poor Martha Washington cries frequently and I can tell she has given up hope for his recovery. I am furious with Adams for staying in Boston at this grave time, he needs to be near should or when the worse happens. I still hope for the President to recover, but it’s becoming more clear that will not happen”
After numerous letters from Hamilton urging Adams to come to Philadelphia he arrives on September 17, the same day he wrote in his personal diary;
“Though I admit Washington’s condition is dire, I do not believe it is fatal. The Creole highly exaggerated in his letter on the President’s health. I expect Washington to recover and be well again in a few short days, and at that time I shall return to my sweet Abigail”
At 11:30 September 18, 1793 George Washington is pronounced dead by Dr. Astell R. Kimmons, the cause of is prescribed to be an acute case of Yellow Fever. At his side are Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Secretary Thomas Jefferson, Vice President Adams, Martha Washington, Dr. Astell Kimmons, and two young black nurse identified only as Elias and Susanna. The scene was described in detail by John Adams.**
“September 18, 1793
Today, President George Washington, the first president of this nation, has past on to our lord. Just yesterday I wrote my prediction that Mr. Washington would be on his way to Mt. Vernon shortly, but I have been proven gravely wrong. The room in which Washington spent his final hours was foul smelling, lit at the time by a few candles and a window that overlooked a small grove of trees, still a vibrant green. The President himself was a yellow color that was not pleasant to look at. His eyes and mouth still had a red border to them, one of the nurses, Susanna had been sent to find a rag to clean this away while Elias packed Dr. Kimmons instruments, who was busy taking notes on the matter. Elias and Susanna, I had been told, had been the person most incontact with Washington in his final days as being members of the Negro Race they were immune. Both Martha Washington, and Secretary Alexander Hamilton had to leave the room as both were emotionally distraught, I was in shock, part due to the death of our great leader, and part that I had now had to head the government.”
John Jay, at the urging of Alexander Hamilton, had been staying in Wilmington, DE where he received daily updates on Washington's health from Secretary Alexander Hamilton. On September 20, 1793. John Adams recited the Presidential Oath of Office, only the third time this had ever happened, in front of the Wilmington Court House. The oath was administer by Chief Justice John Jay, with Secretary Alexander Hamilton and Governor Joshua Clayton of Delaware behind them, with Adams hand on a copy of the constitution, one raised in the air.
"I, John Adams, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
President John Adams around the time of his inauguration, September 20, 1793
*These were the last documents that Washington would ever sign, and are considered extremely valuable. Of the five only Attorney General Edmund Randolph’s is the only copy that has survived and is currently owned by American Museum of History in Washington D.C.
**The events of Washington's untimely death and Hamilton's reaction to it has been famously recounted in the smash Broadway hit; Hamilton, the song "Stay Alive(Reprise #1)" between "Washington on Your Side" and "I Know Him"
In Fall 1793 Philadelphia was gripped with a massive Yellow Fever Epidemic, claiming 5,000 lives. As the disaster set in most people who could fled the city, the rich to their estates and homes elsewhere, the poor to where ever they would be let in. At the time Philadelphia was the capital of the fledgling American republic and as such many politicians who had been staying there for government reasons fled the city as soon as possible. Washington himself wrote to Secretary Knox urging him and his clerks to leave the city. Washington himself was scheduled to leave September 10.
Not With a Bang, but a Whimper
On September 9 George Washington fell very ill while he was packing to leave for Virginia, the next day he tried to convince the doctor treating him, Dr. Astell Kimmons, to allow him to travel, but instead Dr. Kimmons informs Washington he has contracted yellow fever. On September 11 Washington’s conditions deteriorated rapidly and Kimmons contacted Secretary Hamilton, who had just recovered from a minor case of Yellow Fever and as such is the only high ranking federal official left in the city, and advised him that Washington was unlikely to get better and there was a good chance that Washington would be dead within the week. Hamilton sent letters, signed by Washington to ensure its validity*, to all members of Cabinet and Chief Justice John Jay to inform them about Washington’s deteriorating health. Hamilton, who had stayed with Washington and was by his side when he died, reported in a letter to his sister in law Angelica Schuyler dated September 15;
“The President grows worse with each day, his skin is now the same color as the yellow in his uniform from when I served under him during the war, his eyes have red outlines from blood, he keeps muttering something about Charles Lee, the earlier today he jumped up and howled about how he needed more funding from the continental congress to keep fighting, which terrified all in the room. Poor Martha Washington cries frequently and I can tell she has given up hope for his recovery. I am furious with Adams for staying in Boston at this grave time, he needs to be near should or when the worse happens. I still hope for the President to recover, but it’s becoming more clear that will not happen”
After numerous letters from Hamilton urging Adams to come to Philadelphia he arrives on September 17, the same day he wrote in his personal diary;
“Though I admit Washington’s condition is dire, I do not believe it is fatal. The Creole highly exaggerated in his letter on the President’s health. I expect Washington to recover and be well again in a few short days, and at that time I shall return to my sweet Abigail”
At 11:30 September 18, 1793 George Washington is pronounced dead by Dr. Astell R. Kimmons, the cause of is prescribed to be an acute case of Yellow Fever. At his side are Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Secretary Thomas Jefferson, Vice President Adams, Martha Washington, Dr. Astell Kimmons, and two young black nurse identified only as Elias and Susanna. The scene was described in detail by John Adams.**
“September 18, 1793
Today, President George Washington, the first president of this nation, has past on to our lord. Just yesterday I wrote my prediction that Mr. Washington would be on his way to Mt. Vernon shortly, but I have been proven gravely wrong. The room in which Washington spent his final hours was foul smelling, lit at the time by a few candles and a window that overlooked a small grove of trees, still a vibrant green. The President himself was a yellow color that was not pleasant to look at. His eyes and mouth still had a red border to them, one of the nurses, Susanna had been sent to find a rag to clean this away while Elias packed Dr. Kimmons instruments, who was busy taking notes on the matter. Elias and Susanna, I had been told, had been the person most incontact with Washington in his final days as being members of the Negro Race they were immune. Both Martha Washington, and Secretary Alexander Hamilton had to leave the room as both were emotionally distraught, I was in shock, part due to the death of our great leader, and part that I had now had to head the government.”
John Jay, at the urging of Alexander Hamilton, had been staying in Wilmington, DE where he received daily updates on Washington's health from Secretary Alexander Hamilton. On September 20, 1793. John Adams recited the Presidential Oath of Office, only the third time this had ever happened, in front of the Wilmington Court House. The oath was administer by Chief Justice John Jay, with Secretary Alexander Hamilton and Governor Joshua Clayton of Delaware behind them, with Adams hand on a copy of the constitution, one raised in the air.
"I, John Adams, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
President John Adams around the time of his inauguration, September 20, 1793
*These were the last documents that Washington would ever sign, and are considered extremely valuable. Of the five only Attorney General Edmund Randolph’s is the only copy that has survived and is currently owned by American Museum of History in Washington D.C.
**The events of Washington's untimely death and Hamilton's reaction to it has been famously recounted in the smash Broadway hit; Hamilton, the song "Stay Alive(Reprise #1)" between "Washington on Your Side" and "I Know Him"
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