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Historical Documents Mortality 1793

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In their response to the charges leveled against Philadelphia's black community by Mathew Carey in the wake of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic, Absalom Jones and Richard Allen referred to a "bill of mortality" published at the end of the year by the clerks and sexton of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church In addition to the baptisms and burials that took place at Christ Church and St. Peter's -- 214 of the latter due to yellow fever -- the broadside noted the number of burials among other congregations and denominations, including evidence that would "convince any reasonable man ... that as many coloured people died in proportion as others." Image Credit: The Library Company of Philadelphia previous | next

Related Entries: • The Yellow Fever epidemic • A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People... • A Short Account of the Malignant Fever... • Extracts from journal of Elizabeth Drinker • Julie Winch on Jones' and Allen's response to Carey

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