Hamilton's Adoptive Brother - Edward Stevens
Last week I wrote about Edward Stevens of the Culpeper Militia so today I thought we would write about another (unrelated) Edward Stevens involved with the American Founding.
Edward Stevens grew up in the same household in the Caribbean as Alexander Hamilton.
Although not as important as his adoptive brother, Stevens was involved in curing the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1794 and the Haitian Revolution.
Edward Stevens
Edward Stevens was just a child when his father adopted two orphan boys.
One of these children was Alexander Hamilton.
The two kids grew up together and later in life, when Hamilton generally ignored his past, the two remained friends.
On the Continent
Stevens sailed for American and studied at King’s College, leaving just before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.
He went to Europe to receive his medical degree before moving to St. Croix where he was a practicing Physician for over a decade.
Eventually, Edward was persuaded by his friends to move to Philadelphia.
Yellow Fever Controversy
Shortly after his arrival in the United States, the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1794 broke out.
During this event, a controversy arose as to how treatment should work.
Stevens sided with a group of doctors who promoted a Swedish method which involved drinking wine and bathing in warm water twice a day.
Edward claimed that he was able to cure his old friend Alexander Hamilton using this method.
Conversely, Dr. Benjamin Rush (a signer of the Declaration of Independence) was in favor of more traditional methods, like bloodletting.
Rush claimed that he tried the Swedish method but his patients still died.
We know today that none of these healing styles would work.
Consul to Haiti
Edward would later be sent by President John Adams as a Consul to Haiti.
This was in the middle of the Haitian Revolution and Stevens’ role as a diplomat was to deal with Toussaint L'Ouverture and secure protection for American sailors.
Furthermore, since France and Britain were at war, no British Minister was allowed on the island. Due to the large portion of his life he spent in Great Britain, Stevens was asked to also represent that country in Haiti.
Stevens was successful in his attempts to make the seas around Haiti safe for American ships as well as stimulate negotiations between the island and the British.
Want to learn about other PHYSICIANS of the American Founding?
Great, check this article out:
Founding Physicians - The Top 10 Doctors of the American Revolution
The relationship between the US and the Haitian Revolutionaries is unique.
To learn more about their tense association, check out ‘Confronting Black Jacobins’.
Pick it up through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same) .
