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Elizabeth Blackwell Accomplishments

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Before Elizabeth Blackwell got her MD in 1849 no woman had ever been a doctor in America. Blackwell fought through massive sexism to even find a college which would accept her, and did not even become a doctor for her own passion for the medical field rather for the plea of an ill friend. Blackwell had a strong character. She was concerned with matters of justice and morality, she sought challenges, and she was a determined, strong willed person. These qualities made her outstandingly successful in her career. Her conviction to the just and fair alone made her career possible, for if she had not been so concerned with morality she would have given up far sooner. What made her so headstrong? Her past, like everyone’s, shaped her significantly. …show more content…

During this time period, the mid-1800s, jobs for women were limited if they even had jobs. There were three jobs: teacher, nurse, or secretary. Women who did not perform these jobs were doomed to a life of housework. This limited view on women was a major issue of the 19th to 20th century, inspiring many feminist revolutions and activism campaigns to change the perception of women as less than men. Blackwell improved the lives of women simply by breaking free of the limited choices she had. If not for Blackwell perhaps women would have never been allowed to be doctors. This is improbable, what is probable however, is that women would have had to wait a long time before someone with her talent and character showed up again. Blackwell also fought for equality outside of her profession and was involved with women’s rights activism. The impact of her young life on her character, her struggle to become a doctor in the mid 1800’s, the people who inspired and challenged her, and the lasting legacy of her work are all essential to understanding Elizabeth Blackwell as a person, and as a symbol of equality in American …show more content…

From there Blackwell traveled back to England to do fundraisers for women in the medical field and to increase awareness that women could be doctors. While in England she was the first woman to be entered into the Medical Register of the United Kingdom (Khalsa, 2012). Blackwell’s achievements pivoted the course for women not only in medicine in America, but also in the UK. Her influence reached many and opened career opportunities for a group often stifled by an oppressive patriarchy. Without Blackwell’s contributions to medicine and equality women would have had a far more difficult time attempting to achieve success on their

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217 Words | 1 Pages

Elizabeth Blackwell The First Female Doctor In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell was a twenty-eight year old woman who had just become the first female to earn the M.D. degree in America. Originally from Bristol, England, Elizabeth moved to America when she was 11, because her father wanted to help abolish slavery and for financial reasons. While growing up she had no interest in studying medicine, but became a teacher until her mind was changed when her dying friend said that she would not have suffered as much if her doctor had been a woman. Since she had no idea how to become a doctor, she inquired with family friends who were doctors, most of them told her it was a good idea however, it was impossible.

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1069 Words | 5 Pages

Blackwell pursued her degree, this does not explain how it is she managed to obtain said degree. Ultimately, the fact remains that somewhere along the way Dr. Blackwell made the decision to pursue a medical degree. A shocking fact someone might not know is that at the time though there were no women who had a degree there were some who did practice medicine illegally. Dr. Blackwell however was not aware of these people and in became interested in medicine because of the two of the families she was boarding with while teaching. These two families both had physicians who were mentors to her when she was not teaching.

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627 Words | 3 Pages

Susan B. Anthony was born into a Quaker family, with the hope that everyone would one day be treated equal. She denied a chance to speak at a temperance convention because she was a woman(Susan B. Anthony). From this point on, she knew that she needed to make a change. Susan B. Anthony, because of her intense work involving women 's’ rights, highly influenced all of the societies and beliefs that were yet to come. She employed a huge role in our history because of the fact that she advocated for women’s rights, for the integration of women in the workforce, and for the abolition of slavery.

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528 Words | 3 Pages

The person who I was assigned for my black history month paper was Estelle Massey Osborne. She was born on May 3, 1901 in Palestine, Texas. She was one of eleven brothers and sisters. At first, Estelle went to school for teaching. She studied at Prairie View State College for her teaching degree.

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812 Words | 4 Pages

She studied under Ann Preston, the first female dean of Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, during Cole’s time there. The primary issue that several people had with her work was her duty as a sanitary visitor. Some did not see the purpose of having a sanitary visitor since he/she would not be providing the poor with the tools they need instead just informing them on how to stay sanitary. Cole faced many challenges and barriers during her career as a physician. In the 1860s, the United States was just adjusting to the end of the Civil War and African Americans were free but not treated equally.

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949 Words | 4 Pages

1849 to 1910 was an important time for America. Reforms were happening all across the board, affecting workers, African Americans, and children. It was also very crucial for women’s rights – voting rights in particular. This period saw the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement; however, it also marked the start of anti-suffrage. During this time, society was divided with one of the simplest and most complicated questions of the era: what is the proper role of women?

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490 Words | 2 Pages

Around the late 18th to early 19th century, colonial American New England life was centered on living independently and being finally free from the British Empire after the Revolutionary War. Establishing control of a newly founded government with set functions and a first president, there were progressive changes that America had to act upon post-war. However, behind the political aspects that are greatly highlighted in American history, the roles of women in society, particularly midwives shouldn’t be cast aside. Although women were largely marginalized in early New England life because of their gender, nevertheless Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s A Midwife’s Tale is instructive because it demonstrates the privilege of men’s authority in society

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1283 Words | 6 Pages

Blackwell became very successful and proved that women can do just as much as men can. She died on May 31, 1910, yet today her memory stills lives on. She continues to give women the motivation to follow their dreams, setting an example for others to follow. Two major influences that impacted the life and career of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor, were her friend, Mary Donaldson, and the death of her father, Samuel Blackwell.

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1092 Words | 5 Pages

Nursing Paper Fitsum Deresa Intro to Professional Nursing Charmain McKie, RN, MS, MPH Nursing Paper Susan (Baker) King Taylor is a very important historian that played a significant role in the nursing field. Her contribution to the nursing profession is astounding, but easily forgotten and unnoticed by many.

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“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal” (Notabelbiographies.com), Elizabeth Cady Stanton changed the words of our founding fathers ever so slightly. This was fitting since she is known as a leading figure of the early women's rights movement. Through her diligent work, she helped change the world for women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born November 12, 1815 in Johnstown, New York (Biography.com). She was the daughter of Daniel Cady and Margaret Livingston Cady (Biography.com).

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1500 Words | 6 Pages

In “The Pastoralization of Housework” by Jeanne Boydston, Boydston explores the effect of the romanization of housework. The pastoralization of housework that occurred during the Antebellum period was the result of the development of early industrialization. In order to have something remain constant in the changing times the formation of two separate gender spheres allowed a routine to an ever changing society. A result of these two spheres was the pastoralization of domestic labor in the early 1800s that made labor ‘invisible’ and began to discredit the women’s work at home, but also raised them to a higher pedestal in the family dynamic. By embracing the idea of True Motherhood women were able to flourish by the naturalization of the social

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653 Words | 3 Pages

Who was Elizabeth Cady Stanton? Stanton was a radical reformer for women's rights, many people may not know who she was or what significance she held for women today. In the book, Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Radical for Women’s Rights by Lois W. Banner, the reader gets to learn more about her, her family and what her importance was from 1815 to 1902. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born on November 12, 1815 in Johnstown, New York.

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1112 Words | 5 Pages

The life of Women in the late 1800s. Life for women in the 1800s began to change as they pushed for more rights and equality. Still, men were seen as better than women, this way of thinking pushed women to break out from the limitations imposed on their sex. In the early 1800s women had virtually no rights and ultimately were not seen as people but they rather seen as items of possession, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that women started to gain more rights. The Civil War actually opened opportunities for women to gain more rights, because with many of the men gone to war women were left with the responsibilities that men usually fulfilled during that time period.

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387 Words | 2 Pages

Women in the 1600s to the 1800s were very harshly treated. They were seen as objects rather than people. They were stay-at-home women because people didn’t trust them to hold jobs. They were seen as little or weak. Women living in this time period had to have their fathers choose their husbands.

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584 Words | 3 Pages

Misogyny is the dislike of, contempt for, or prejudice of women; Washington Irving has been accused of misogyny because of the treatment of women in his stories and their content. Washington Irving was a writer during the 1800’s, and some of his most popular works include “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Within these tales and other works of Irving’s, aspects of misogyny is discernible, though there is debate about whether the author himself was a misogynist. I believe that the misogyny that is shown throughout a select few of Irving’s works is due in part to the time period, not entirely Irving, himself.

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