On this day 250 years ago townspeople of Marblehead, Massachusetts, began a series of riots that eventually resulted in the destruction of a private hospital that had been established by leading merchants of the town to control smallpox outbreaks. The rioters were outraged that the proprietors of the hospital were not abiding by restrictions that had been adopted by a town meeting of Marblehead in order to limit the spread of smallpox. Ironically, the rioters and the principal proprietors of the hospital (Elbridge Gerry, John Glover, and Azor Orne) were all ardent Patriots. Elbridge Gerry served in public office throughout the Revolution and the early Republic, dying in office as Vice President under President Madison. Azor Orne was a member of the Massachusetts legislature. John Glover was one of the most celebrated generals of the Revolution who led the Marblehead Regiment that rowed the Continental Army across the East River to escape the British after the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776 and then across the Delaware to surprise the Hessians at the Battle of Trenton a few months later. Many of the rioters served in the Marblehead Regiment under Glover’s command.

Source: https://history.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/Blake-Eva_SNR-Thesis_web.pdf