Benjamin Rush was an American political leader and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. During the period when John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were not speaking, Rush had a prophetic dream that both men would reconcile and die at nearly the same moment. Incredibly, this turned out to be true—both died on July 4, 1826. Rush was delighted with the role he played in facilitating the reconciliation.
Get the entire Founding Brothers LitChart as a printable PDF.
Benjamin Rush Character Timeline in Founding Brothers
The timeline below shows where the character Benjamin Rush appears in Founding Brothers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6: The Friendship
John Adams also began writing to Benjamin Rush again. The two men produced a surreal correspondence filled with details of their dreams. Reflecting...
(full context)
...first denied that he had much knowledge or opinion of Jefferson in his letters to Rush. However, he eventually came to talk more about his former friend. As an idealist and...
(full context)
In 1809, Rush wrote that he’d had a dream in which John Adams and Thomas Jefferson resumed their...
(full context)
...John Adams sent a short, friendly letter to Jefferson, enclosing two pieces of homespun fabric. Rush was thrilled and credited himself for this development. Jefferson sent a long letter in response,...
(full context)
...Adams’ friendship, including the deep trust that had been lost. Strangely, even the part of Rush’s prophecy about the two men dying at the same time came true: they died five...
(full context)
