How Did Elizabeth Blackwell Contribute To Society

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If it were not for the contributions made by individuals in our society, we would live in a world without progress or innovation, and there would be no improvement in the quality of life for the human race. Those who possess the courage, determination, and passion needed to achieve their goals go on to do wondrous things that positively impact the society in which they live. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell was a leader in helping to introduce the medical career to women, and was the first woman in America to receive a medical degree. It is evident that Elizabeth Blackwell was worthy of all the notoriety she has received because she had many accomplishments in her career, and played a huge role in providing medical training for women. Blackwell overcame many obstacles during her journey to become a doctor due to gender discrimination in her time period, and managed to become a famous leading public health activist …show more content…

Her parents were Quakers and they raised her to believe that girls could do anything that boys could do. She came to the United States when she was 11 years old. Elizabeth and her four sisters became teachers to support their family after their father died and left his family unprovided for. In 1842, Blackwell became a teacher at a school in Henderson, KY, but prejudice people in her society offended her strong feelings against slavery, and she resigned. One of Elizabeth's friends, named Mary Donaldson, who had gone through treatment for a medical condition, said to Elizabeth that she would have felt much more comfortable if she had a woman doctor, and convinced her to study medicine. The following year, Blackwell departed to Asheville, N.C, where she taught at a school and she began to become interested in studying medicine. In 1846, Blackwell moved to an all girls' school in Charlestown, S.C., where she had plenty of time for analyzing medicine. (Encyclopedia of World