The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

In 1793, during Alexander Hamilton’s tenure as Secretary of the Treasury in Philadelphia, then capital of the United States, the city was struck by an epidemic of yellow fever. Nearly 5000 people died, and both Hamilton and his wife Eliza contracted the illness. In the aftermath, Hamilton’s actions sparked a national political debate over proper medical treatment, and a personal feud between Hamilton and founder Dr. Benjamin Rush.