Historical Moments in Medicine: Spotlight on David Jones Peck
Key takeaways:
David Jones Peck was the first Black person to earn a medical degree from an American medical school. He was an advocate for social justice and committed to the anti-slavery movement.
He possessed a deep sense of purpose and drive for knowledge at a young age. David was motivated to make an impact on his community and did so through work with his parents and many abolitionists.
David fought for equality for all people. And he established a medical practice in the face of resistance from unjust laws. With his knowledge and skills, he became the port physician in Nicaragua.
This series of GoodRx articles shines a spotlight on trailblazers who broke down barriers in medicine and their invaluable contributions to the healthcare field.
Many people throughout history are frustrated dreamers, bold in acting on their dreams and creating a better life for future generations. Some of these people are “the first” in their field. And they may have little awareness of the big step they are taking. One of these pioneers was Dr. David Jones Peck — a Black American man.
As a child, David saw the injustices that Black people experienced before slavery was abolished. He witnessed the unjust laws that were created to keep people like him from succeeding. Eventually, he would overcome these barriers and make history by becoming the first Black person to earn a medical degree at an American medical school.
In his life he showed persistence in standing up for his beliefs and he became a changemaker for his peers and for future generations. Through his medical practice and advocacy, he encouraged many people of color to seek their dreams against all odds.
Context of 19th Century
David was born in the early 19th century, not long after the War of 1812 and before slavery was abolished in the U.S. Known as the “Antebellum Period,” this era was marked by both economic growth and the rise of anti-slavery movements. With conversations brewing over whether slavery was unconstitutional — and if all people should be free — the country was also hurtling toward civil war.
During this time, tensions between the North and South were growing. And yet, even in free states, there were barriers to equality. Black people were subject to violence, racial, economic, housing discrimination, and many more injustices. Labor unions discriminated and excluded Black workers. Black people were often barred or suppressed from voting. Mobs lynched and publicly executed Black people, in part to intimidate others from standing up against discrimination.
These were the challenges of David’s life, one’s he had to navigate as a young boy and as a man working toward a medical career.
Growing up
David was born to John C. and Sally (Sarah) Peck in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1826 — both were free people of color. John Peck was a renowned abolitionist. Additionally, he was a minister who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Carlisle, as well as a wigmaker and barber. Along with being an integral place for the Black community to gather, running a barbershop was one of the few opportunities for a Black man to own a profitable business.
In the 1930s, David’s family moved to Pittsburgh, where David observed his father and other Black men fight for justice. They did this by combatting the legal and political system that was built, in part, to keep Black people from thriving.
Still in the pre-Civil War era, David watched as his father worked to abolish slavery. John Peck did this through community organizing and advocacy. He was also a prominent stockholder in the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania, meaning he raised money to provide former slaves with food, clothing, housing, and job-placement services. Inspired by his father and other figures in his life, David committed to a life of activism and service.
David’s family placed great importance on education and the pursuit of knowledge and growth. In Pittsburgh, his parents co-founded the first school for Black children in the region. David attended this school for his primary education. Later on he studied at Collegiate Institute at Oberlin, Ohio from 1841 to 1844.
Continuing education and medical practice
From 1844 to 1846, David studied medicine under the supervision of Joseph P. Gaszzam, a white doctor in Pittsburg who promoted anti-slavery. Then in 1846, he entered Rush Medical College in Chicago.
David’s attendance at Rush Medical College was controversial as many students didn’t want to attend classes with an African American student. The faculty, however, wanted David to stay at Rush. Even so, Dr. Daniel Brainard, the school’s president and founder, put David’s fate in his classmates' hands.
In the spring of 1847, David’s classmates agreed to admit him. Upon graduation at age 21, David became the first Black person to earn a medical degree from an American medical school.
In the summer after graduation, David joined Frederick Douglass, William Llyod Garrison, and other abolitionists on a series of anti-slavery lectures in Ohio. In 1848, he opened his medical practice in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, David was met with significant resistance and rejection while practicing medicine. At one point, he was thrown out of a store for attempting to purchase medical books. Ultimately, he gave up his medical practice and left Philadelphia in 1850. Notably, this was also the year that Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 — a law that required citizens to help in detaining runaway slaves and denied enslaved people the right to a jury trial.
Transition to Nicaragua and legacy
Free Black people had no protection under the Fugitive Slave Laws. They were vulnerable to capture by so-called slave hunters. This is thought to have prompted David to leave the U.S. and move to Central America.
Initially, David’s passport application was denied because Black people were not yet considered American citizens. But he eventually succeeded in moving to San Juan de Nicaragua (Greytown). Shortly thereafter, David became the port physician and developed a successful medical practice. He also obtained leadership in a government that was influenced by Black people. Through this work, he was able to apply many of the advocacy and community organizing skills that he gained while growing up.
In 1854, David joined the liberal side of the Nicaraguan Civil War. In 1855, he was killed by cannon fire at age 29 and was buried in the town square of the city of Granada. He is remembered for his life of advocacy and service and search for freedom.
The bottom line
In 1847 Dr. David Jones Peck became the first Black person to earn a medical degree from an American medical school. Growing up, he had been inspired by those around him to pursue a life of service. And despite facing resistance and roadblocks along the way, he was able to persist and make history to inspire generations to come.
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References
Bill of Rights Institute. (2023). Background essay: African Americans in the Gilded Age.
Finkelman, P. (2020). “Let it be placed among the abominations!”: The Bill of Rights and the Fugitive Slave Laws.
Harris, M. (1996). David Jones Peck, MD: A dream denied. Journal of the National Medical Association.
History.com Editors. (2023). War of 1812. History.
Greenspan, J. (2022). 6 strategies Harriet Tubman and others used to escape along the Underground Railroad. History.
Manos, N. (2009). David Jones Peck (CA. 1826-1855). Blackpast.org.
National Association of Barbers. (2022). The history of Black barbershops: The must-know info about Black barbershops’ impact on the industry.
National Archives. (2022). 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of slavery (1865).
