Elizabeth Blackwell
Elizabeth
Blackwell was the first woman doctor in the united states. She had a passion
for women’s rights, and abolishing slavery. Blackwell was born in Bristle England
in 1821. when she was 11 years old her family moved to New York, her father
intended to open a sugar refinery in New York like the one he had in England. once
settling in America her father was able to see the evils of slavery, and much
of the sugar industry relied on the use of people, held as slaves he disliked this
very much and moved his family to Cincinnati Ohio, to start a beach sugar farm which
wasn’t depended on slave labor. Shortly after they moved, Blackwell’s father
died and left the family in deep financial dept. Blackwell and her sister
decided to start a school, for young girls to help make ends meat for the
family. The school provided some income but soon Blackwell was ready for a new
adventure. She visited a friend who had been sick and the friend was telling her
about the treatment she had been receiving, she said her treatment would have
been better if she had been treated by a female doctor, this started a spark in
Blackwell and she began looking further into the idea. The process of earning enough
money for medical school and being accepted was a very long tedious process, and
she applied to schools and receiving denial letters. She spent her time reading
medical books soon physicians recommended that she either studied in Paris or disguise
her self as a man. Finally Blackwell was accepted in Hoebart college in upstate
new York, it was almost by accident that she was accepted. The dean of the
school had receive her application and had the 150 male students vote, on
accepting her they all thought it as a joke and said yes, weren’t they all surprised
when Elizabeth Blackwell stepped on campus. Blackwell later choose to finish
her medical degree in Europe, and she studied in a school over there. She was
still met with much opposition because she was a woman, but she stayed focused.
Once she graduated she came back to America to open her own school. Blackwell
wasn’t met with open arms as a female doctor she had to break down many stereo
types about women and the medical field. Her bravery help change the world today,
Thank you Elizabeth Blackwell.
This reminds me of the story of the first female student to be admitted at Harvard Medical School. Her name was Fe Del Mundo, and they accepted her because her name was unfamiliar to American ears, and they thought she was a man. Check her out. There is one more fact about her that may pleasantly surprise you.
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