Elizabeth Blackwell

@First Woman Medical Graduate, Timeline and Childhood

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first American woman to receive a medical degree

Feb 3, 1821

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Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: February 3, 1821
  • Died on: May 31, 1910
  • Nationality: American
  • Famous: First Woman Medical Graduate, Feminists, Physicians
  • Siblings: Anna, Ellen, Emily, George, Henry, Howard, Marian, Samuel
  • Universities:
    • Hobart and William Smith Colleges
    • Bedford College
    • St Bartholomew's Hospital
    • Geneva Medical
  • Birth Place: Bristol

Elizabeth Blackwell born at

Bristol

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Birth Place

Elizabeth Blackwell never married for she prized her independence and rejected many suitors. In 1856, she adopted Katherine "Kitty" Barry, an orphan and raised her as a half-servant, half-daughter.

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Personal Life

She was well connected and exchanged letters with Lady Byron about women’s rights issues and was a close friend with Florence Nightingale with whom she discussed opening a hospital together.

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Personal Life

She died at her home in Hastings, England and her ashes were buried in the graveyard of St Munn's Parish Church, Kilmun, Scotland. The Lancet and The British Medical Journal carried obituaries honoring her.

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Personal Life

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in a house on Dickson Street in Bristol, England, to Samuel Blackwell, a sugar refiner and his wife Hannah (Lane) Blackwell. She was third of the nine siblings.

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Childhood & Early Life

Her childhood was a happy one as her father had liberal views on childrearing and believed that every child should be given opportunity for development of his or her talent.

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Childhood & Early Life

In 1832, the family relocated to New York City, in the United States where Samuel joined Samuel Hanson Cox's congregation, and become rather active in reform circles and supported the abolition of slavery.

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Childhood & Early Life

A fire in his sugar refinery destroyed it and Samuel decided to shift to Cincinnati, but he died soon after in 1838 leaving a widow, nine children and great deal of debt.

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Childhood & Early Life

The sisters started a school, The Cincinnati English and French Academy for Young Ladies, to help tide over their financial situation. Elizabeth’ interest in Unitarian Church was not acceptable to the conservative Cincinnati community.

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Childhood & Early Life

By 1845, she decided on a medical career and in order to save money for medical school expense, she taught music at an academy in Asheville, North Carolina, and lodged with Rev. John Dickson, a physician turned clergyman.

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Career

In 1847, she left for Philadelphia and New York, to explore the opportunities for medical study. In Philadelphia, she boarded with Dr. William Elder, and studied anatomy privately but her applications were rejected.

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Career

In 1847, Blackwell was accepted as a medical student by Geneva Medical College, New York quite accidentally as students thought it was a joke when they were asked to vote on her admission.

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Career

When Dr. James Webster, the anatomy professor asked her to absent herself during lectures on reproduction, her response made Webster to admit her to the lecture and the subject was no longer considered vulgar.

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Career

In between her two terms at Geneva, she returned to Philadelphia, and applied for medical positions to gain clinical experience. The Guardians of the Poor that administered Blockley Almshouse, permitted her, reluctantly.

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Career

In 1852, she published ‘The Laws of Life with Special Reference to the Physical Education of Girls’. The book was about the physical and mental development of girls and with the preparation of young women for motherhood.

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Major Works

She campaigned against the Contagious Diseases Acts and her 1878 essay, ‘Counsel to Parents on the Moral Education of their Children’, was unequivocal on prostitution and marriage, arguing against the Contagious Diseases Acts.

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Major Works