In 1793, Philadelphia—then the capital of the young United States—was gripped by one of the most devastating yellow fever epidemics in American history. Fear swept through the city as thousands died and thousands more fled. In the chaos, the African American community of Philadelphia, led by free Black leaders such as Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, stepped forward to care for the sick and bury the dead. Their story was later published in a powerful pamphlet: A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People, During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia in the Year 1793.
The Crisis and the Call to Service
When yellow fever struck, many doctors, clergy, and wealthier citizens fled Philadelphia. But Dr. Benjamin Rush, a prominent physician, believed African Americans were less susceptible to the disease (a mistaken assumption). On this belief, he urged the Black community to help. Leaders Richard Allen, a Methodist preacher, and Absalom Jones, an Episcopal lay minister, answered the call. They organized relief efforts, nursing the sick, transporting the ill, and burying the dead at great risk to their own lives.
Despite the myth of immunity, many African Americans did contract yellow fever and die in the service of others. Their contributions were acts of courage and sacrifice, made during a time when racial prejudice was deeply entrenched in American society.
A Pamphlet in Defense of Truth
In the aftermath of the epidemic, rumors and accusations spread. Some claimed Black volunteers had taken advantage of the crisis by demanding high wages for their work or by looting from the dead. Mathew Carey, a well-known publisher, repeated these charges in his widely circulated pamphlet A Short Account of the Malignant Fever, Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia.
Allen and Jones responded with their own pamphlet in 1794: A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People, During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia in the Year 1793. Their work directly challenged Carey’s accusations, offering firsthand accounts of Black service and sacrifice. They documented how African Americans had risked their lives for the common good, defended their community’s honor, and called for recognition of their humanity and contributions.
Historical Significance
The Narrative is one of the earliest published works by African Americans in the United States. It served not only as a defense against slander but also as a political statement, demanding respect and equity at a time when Black voices were rarely heard in print. It provides modern readers with an invaluable record of the lived experiences of free African Americans in the late 18th century.
The pamphlet also underscores a recurring theme in American history: Black communities stepping forward in moments of national crisis, often without due acknowledgment of their sacrifices. Allen and Jones used their words to assert the truth of their people’s actions, turning the pamphlet into both a historical document and an act of resistance.
Legacy
Today, A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People remains a testament to the courage of Philadelphia’s Black citizens in 1793. It reminds us that history is not only written by those in power but also by those who insist on telling their own story. In their pamphlet, Allen and Jones preserved a record of dignity, sacrifice, and resilience that continues to resonate more than two centuries later.
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