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.