1913Who was the first Canadian-born doctor of African descent and cared for dying President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C.?
Dr. Anderson Ruffin Abbott, born in Toronto in 1837, became the first Canadian-born doctor of African descent and played a key role in both Canadian and American history. Not only did he rise to surgeon-in-chief and serve with distinction during the American Civil War, but he was also present at the bedside of President Abraham Lincoln on the night of his assassination in Washington, D.C. Uniquely, Mary Todd Lincoln later honored him with a plaid shawl worn by the late president, and Abbott’s remarkable career included founding the Freedmen's Hospital and serving as Toronto's first Black coroner. His legacy is still celebrated today, 112 years after his death, as a pioneer of medicine and equality.
