Editing Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (section)

== The Free African Society ==

One of the most significant—and tragic—responses to the epidemic came from the Free African Society, a mutual aid organization founded in 1787 by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. When Dr. Benjamin Rush publicly appealed for Black Philadelphians to assist in caring for the sick, based on his incorrect belief that people of African descent were immune to yellow fever, Allen and Jones mobilized their community to help. Members of the Free African Society served as nurses, gravediggers, and caretakers for abandoned families, often at great personal risk. They continued this work throughout the epidemic despite mounting evidence that Black Philadelphians were as susceptible to the disease as anyone else.<ref name="carey">{{cite book |last=Carey |first=Matthew |title=A Short Account of the Malignant Fever Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia |year=1793 |publisher=Printed by the Author |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

The Black community's service during the epidemic was met not with gratitude but with slander. Publisher Matthew Carey, in his widely circulated account of the epidemic, accused Black nurses and carters of profiteering and neglecting their duties—charges that were largely baseless. Allen and Jones published their own response, "A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People, During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia," defending their community's conduct and documenting the sacrifices made. The document stands as an important early example of Black public advocacy and provides invaluable testimony about the epidemic from participants who risked their lives in service. The controversy foreshadowed ongoing tensions about race and citizenship in the early republic.<ref name="allen">{{cite book |last=Allen |first=Richard |last2=Jones |first2=Absalom |title=A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People, During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia |year=1794 |publisher=William W. Woodward |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>