Elizabeth Blackwell - Medical Pioneer and Civil War Hero

Elizabeth Blackwell: A Pioneer in Medicine


Elizabeth Blackwell was a pioneer in the field of medicine. She became the first woman to receive a medical degree and a membership in the General Medical Council. Blackwell was also the first woman to be listed on the Medical Register. Learn more about her life and career. Also, learn about the role she played in the Civil War.



Elizabeth Blackwell's Family


Elizabeth Blackwell's family moved to the United States when she was eleven years old. Her father, Samuel, was an abolitionist who worked in the sugar industry. He supported women's suffrage and women's rights. The Blackwells' son, Henry, became an educator and abolitionist.



Her Marriage and Achievements


At the age of thirty-four, Blackwell married Lucy Stone, an Irish orphan. She remained with the couple until her death in 1910. After her marriage, Blackwell became the first woman on the UK medical register. She also helped establish the London School of Medicine for Women. She died in 1910, after suffering a fall in 1907. Her name is listed in the Directory of Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929.



Pursuing a Medical Education


After a turbulent period in her early life, Elizabeth Blackwell decided to pursue a medical education. She was the first female in the UK to earn a medical degree. She was a pioneer of women's rights, and her sister-in-law, Lucy Stone, was also a pioneer of women's rights.



Her Education and Career


Learn about Elizabeth Blackwell's education and career as a physician. She was the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States and was the first woman to be on the Medical Register of the General Medical Council. In addition to her achievements as a physician, Blackwell also played an important role in the evolution of medicine in Britain.



Overcoming Discrimination


Despite the discrimination she faced in her education, Blackwell graduated at the top of her class in 1849. After graduation, she began her career as a surgeon, but she was met with criticism from both faculty and community. Despite the criticism, Blackwell felt that her training would be better suited to a European country. After graduating, she worked at a number of hospitals in London and Paris. While working at the hospitals, she also made friends with Florence Nightingale, who would later become the first woman to practice surgery in Britain.



A Platform for Social Change


Elizabeth became interested in medicine when she visited a sick friend. She had been advised by her friend to become a physician. This decision would have been viewed as a radical move since women were not allowed to practice medicine in the early nineteenth century. The idea of a woman becoming a doctor was considered ludicrous then, but Blackwell persevered and used her education as a platform to work toward social change.



The Unlikely Path to a Medical Career


The path that led to Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell's career was an unlikely one. She was a naturalized American citizen who sought further medical training in Paris and London. She enrolled in medical schools in these medical capitals, and became a student midwife at the famed Maternite hospital in Paris. While in Paris, she contracted a disease that nearly blinded her in one eye. Her hopes of becoming a surgeon were dashed, but she kept at it. After her doctoral degree in 1849, she moved to Paris to work in a famous maternity hospital. There, she met Florence Nightingale, another doctor who had a similar interest in sanitation and hygiene.



Overcoming Challenges


During her time as a medical student, Elizabeth Blackwell was denied equal opportunity because of her gender. She was also considered an outcast by society. While women were viewed as "uncouth", Elizabeth Blackwell persevered despite the odds and graduated with honors.



Her Role in the Civil War


Elizabeth Blackwell's role during the Civil War is well documented. Her work in the field of health care centered around ensuring that Union hospitals were sanitary and that soldiers were properly groomed. She helped establish the US sanitary commission and worked with President Lincoln to train nurses. She also helped develop a telegram and letter-delivery system for soldiers in the field.



Elizabeth Blackwell's Early Life


Blackwell was born in Bristol, England, to Samuel and Hannah Lane. She was their third child. They lived in a prosperous town and enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. However, Samuel Blackwell decided to relocate his family to America when Elizabeth was a young girl. This was so that his family could support the anti-slavery and women's rights movements. In 1832, they settled in New York.



In 1821, Blackwell's parents were devout Quakers and were active in the Bristol Abolition Society. Their beliefs influenced Elizabeth's anti-slavery activism. Her father had worked hard to ensure that his family was able to provide for their children and support the anti-slavery movement.

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