Syllabus of A Course of Lectures on Chemistry

Benjamin Rush's Syllabus of a Course of Lectures on Chemistry, published in 1770, was the first American textbook on the subject. This syllabus emerged during a period of significant scientific transformation in the 17th century, known as the Scientific Revolution, where chemistry began to establish itself as a distinct field from philosophy and technology. Chemistry's origins are diverse, stemming from philosophy, alchemy, metallurgy, and medicine. Rush's work in chemistry occurred as the field was moving towards a more quantitative and experimental approach, influenced by the mechanical philosophy that sought to explain natural phenomena in mechanical terms.12