Elizabeth Blackwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Blackwell
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 3 February 1821 Bristol, England
|
| Died | 31 May 1910 (aged 89) Hastings, England
|
| Citizenship | British and American |
| Education | Geneva Medical College |
| Occupation |
|
Elizabeth Blackwell (born February 3, 1821 – died May 31, 1910) was a remarkable doctor. She was the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. She also became the first woman listed on the Medical Register for the United Kingdom.
Elizabeth Blackwell was a pioneer who helped open doors for women in medicine. She was also a social reformer in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Her work is still honored today with the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal, given each year to a woman who has greatly helped women in medicine.
At first, Elizabeth didn't plan to be a doctor. She became a schoolteacher to help her family. While teaching, a friend became very ill and said she might have suffered less with a female doctor. This idea sparked Elizabeth's interest in medicine.
She began applying to medical schools but faced much prejudice because she was a woman. Most schools rejected her. However, Geneva Medical College in New York accepted her in 1847. The male students voted to let her in, though some thought it was a prank. This made Elizabeth Blackwell the first woman to attend medical school in the United States.
Her first medical paper, published in 1849, was about typhoid fever. It showed her deep care for people and her belief in fairness for everyone. Some in the medical community thought this caring approach was "feminine."
In 1857, Elizabeth and her sister Emily Blackwell founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children. She also gave talks to women about the importance of education. During the American Civil War, she helped organize nurses. Later, she helped start the London School of Medicine for Women in 1874.
Contents
Elizabeth Blackwell: A Pioneer Doctor
Early Life and Family
Elizabeth was born in Bristol, England, on February 3, 1821. Her father, Samuel Blackwell, was a sugar refiner. Her mother was Hannah Blackwell. Elizabeth had two older sisters and six younger siblings, including her sister Emily, who also became a doctor. Four of her aunts lived with them too.
In 1832, her family moved from England to New York. Her father had lost his sugar refinery in a fire. In New York, her father became involved in the movement to end slavery. Family discussions often included important topics like women's rights and child labor.
Her parents believed all their children, including the girls, should have every chance to develop their talents. This was unusual for the time, as most people thought women should only be homemakers or teachers. Elizabeth had private tutors and a governess, which meant she spent most of her time with her family.
A few years later, the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. When Elizabeth was 17, her father passed away, leaving the family with little money.
A New Path: Becoming a Doctor
Facing Challenges to Study Medicine
After her father's death, Elizabeth and her sisters Anna and Marian opened a school for young ladies. This helped the family financially. Elizabeth also became more interested in different ideas and continued her own studies.
In 1844, Elizabeth took a teaching job in Henderson, Kentucky. She disliked seeing slavery there and left after six months. She returned to Cincinnati.
Elizabeth then got another teaching job in Asheville, North Carolina. Her goal was to save money for medical school. She stayed with Reverend John Dickson, a former doctor, who let her use his medical books. Elizabeth studied hard and thought deeply about her decision to become a doctor.
She faced many rejections when she tried to apply to medical schools. Doctors told her to study in Paris or pretend to be a man. They believed women were not smart enough for medicine or that she might become a competitor.
Studying in the United States
In October 1847, Elizabeth Blackwell was accepted into Geneva Medical College in Geneva, New York. The school's leaders let the 150 male students vote on her acceptance. They voted yes, though some students thought it was a joke.
.jpg)
While at school, people in Geneva saw Elizabeth as unusual. She focused on her studies and kept to herself. During a break, she worked at Blockley Almshouse in Philadelphia to gain experience. She learned a lot about treating patients, but was shocked by the poor conditions in some wards, especially those with serious infectious diseases like typhus.
On January 23, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell made history. She became the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. The local newspapers praised her graduation.
Learning in Europe
After graduating, Elizabeth decided to continue her medical studies in Europe in April 1849. She visited hospitals in Britain and then went to Paris. Many hospitals there also refused her because she was a woman.
She enrolled at La Maternité, a hospital for mothers, where she studied to be a student midwife. She gained valuable experience there. However, while treating a baby with an eye infection, some contaminated fluid accidentally squirted into her own eye. She lost sight in her left eye, which meant she could no longer become a surgeon.
After recovering, she studied at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London in 1850. She made a good impression there. She felt that the prejudice against women in medicine was not as strong in the United States. So, she returned to New York City in 1851, hoping to start her own medical practice.
Her Medical Career and Impact
Starting a Practice and Helping Others
In the United States, Elizabeth still faced challenges because she was a woman. However, some newspapers supported her. Her practice struggled at first.
In 1852, Elizabeth began giving lectures. She also published her first book, The Laws of Life with Special Reference to the Physical Education of Girls. This book discussed how girls develop physically and mentally.
In 1853, she opened a small clinic, called a dispensary, in New York. She also mentored Marie Zakrzewska, a Polish woman who wanted to study medicine. In 1857, Elizabeth, her sister Emily, and Marie expanded the clinic. It became the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children. This infirmary was run by women and provided care for both inpatients and outpatients. It also trained nurses.
Helping During the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, the Blackwell sisters helped with nursing efforts for the Union Army. Elizabeth strongly supported the North because of her beliefs against slavery.
She faced some resistance from male doctors in the United States Sanitary Commission. In response, Elizabeth worked with the Woman's Central Relief Association. The New York Infirmary also partnered with Dorothea Dix to train nurses for the war effort.
Founding Medical Schools
Elizabeth Blackwell traveled to Britain several times to raise money. She wanted to create a similar infirmary project there. In 1859, she became the first woman to be listed on the General Medical Council's medical register in Britain. She also mentored Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, who later became the first woman doctor in England.
By 1866, the New York Infirmary was treating nearly 7,000 patients each year. Elizabeth was needed back in the United States. In 1868, a medical college for women was established next to the infirmary. It used Elizabeth's new ideas for medical education, including a four-year training period with more hands-on clinical experience.
Later, Elizabeth moved back to Britain in 1869. In 1874, she helped establish the London School of Medicine for Women. This school aimed to prepare women for medical licensing exams. Elizabeth was against using vivisection (animal testing) in the school's laboratory. She believed that Christian values should be as important as science in medicine.
She retired from her medical career in 1877.
Later Life and Important Ideas
After moving to Britain, Elizabeth Blackwell became involved in many social reform movements. She helped found the National Health Society in 1871. She traveled across Europe, meeting influential people and sharing her ideas.
From 1880 to 1895, Elizabeth was very active in social reform. She focused on promoting good health, hygiene, and proper education. She believed that everyone should strive for moral perfection. She also contributed to founding two planned communities in the 1880s.
Elizabeth believed that bacteria were not the only cause of disease. She also thought that vaccination was dangerous. She campaigned against certain social issues, arguing for moral education for children. Her 1878 book, Counsel to Parents on the Moral Education of their Children, discussed these ideas.
Personal Life and Companionship
Elizabeth Blackwell had many friends in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She corresponded with Lady Byron about women's rights. She was also close friends with Florence Nightingale, discussing how to run hospitals. She remained lifelong friends with Barbara Bodichon and met Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Elizabeth was a very strong-willed person. She sometimes had disagreements with others, including Florence Nightingale, who thought Elizabeth should focus only on training nurses. She also had complex relationships with her sisters and other women doctors she mentored.
In 1856, Elizabeth adopted Katherine "Kitty" Barry, an Irish orphan. Elizabeth raised Kitty and provided for her education. Kitty stayed with Elizabeth throughout her life, moving with her across the Atlantic and to her final home in Hastings, England. Kitty remained with Elizabeth until Elizabeth's death.
None of Elizabeth's five sisters ever married. Elizabeth valued her independence greatly. She believed that finding a partner meant finding someone who truly matched her, not just "about a sixth" of what she needed.
Last Years and Lasting Legacy
In her later years, Elizabeth Blackwell remained active. In 1895, she published her autobiography, Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women. After this, she gradually stepped back from public life and traveled more. She visited the United States in 1906.
In 1907, while on holiday in Kilmun, Scotland, Elizabeth fell down stairs. This left her with significant physical and mental challenges. On May 31, 1910, she passed away at her home in Hastings, England, after a stroke. Her ashes were buried in the churchyard of St Munn's Parish Church in Kilmun.
Honors and Influence
Elizabeth Blackwell's influence continues to be felt today.
- After she graduated, her paper on typhoid fever was published in a medical journal.
- In 1857, she opened the New York Infirmary for Women with her sister Emily.
- Her lectures in England inspired Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, who became the first woman doctor in England in 1865.
- In 1874, Elizabeth worked with other pioneers like Florence Nightingale to create the first medical school for women in England, the London School of Medicine for Women.
- She settled in England in the 1870s and continued to promote medicine for women. She influenced many women to become registered medical professionals.
Two institutions honor Elizabeth Blackwell as an alumna:
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges, which is the current name of Geneva College.
- The State University of New York Upstate Medical University, which took over Geneva Medical College.
Since 1949, the American Medical Women's Association has given the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal annually to a female physician. Hobart and William Smith Colleges also gives an annual Elizabeth Blackwell Award to women who have shown "outstanding service to humankind."
In 1973, Elizabeth Blackwell was added to the National Women's Hall of Fame.
The famous artwork The Dinner Party includes a place setting for Elizabeth Blackwell.
In 2013, the University of Bristol launched the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research.
On February 3, 2016, National Women Physicians Day was declared a national holiday. It honors Elizabeth Blackwell's role in inspiring women doctors today.
On February 3, 2018, Google honored her with a Google Doodle for her 197th birthday.
In May 2018, a plaque was unveiled at the former site of the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, which Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell founded.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges erected a statue on their campus honoring Blackwell.
A 2021 book by Janice P. Nimura, The Doctors Blackwell, tells the life stories of Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell.
Poet Jessy Randall's interest in Blackwell inspired her 2022 collection of poems about women scientists, Mathematics for Ladies.
In 2025, SUNY Upstate Medical University erected a statue of Elizabeth Blackwell on its campus to celebrate her pioneering career.
Elizabeth Blackwell Quotes
- "Prejudice is more violent the blinder it is."
- "What is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all women."
Selected Writings
- 1849 The Causes and Treatment of Typhus, or Shipfever (her medical thesis)
- 1852 The Laws of Life with Special Reference to the Physical Education of Girls (a collection of her lectures)
- 1856 An appeal in behalf of the medical education of women
- 1860 Medicine as a Profession for Women (a lecture)
- 1864 Address on the Medical Education of Women
- 1881 "Medicine and Morality" (published in Modern Review)
- 1887 Purchase of Women: the Great Economic Blunder
- 1871 The Religion of Health (a collection of lectures)
- 1883 Wrong and Right Methods of Dealing with Social Evil, as shown by English Parliamentary Evidence
- 1888 On the Decay of Municipal Representative Government – A Chapter of Personal Experience
- 1890 The Influence of Women in the Profession of Medicine
- 1891 Erroneous Method in Medical Education etc.
- 1892 Why Hygienic Congresses Fail
- 1895 Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women – Autobiographical Sketches
- 1898 Scientific Method in Biology
- 1902 Essays in Medical Sociology, 2 vols
Images for kids
-
A plaque commemorating Blackwell's medical studies in Asheville, North Carolina.
See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Blackwell para niños
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, first woman to get a medical qualification in Britain
- James Barry, possibly the first female-bodied doctor (assigned female at birth but lived as a man)
- List of first female physicians by country
- Rebecca Lee Crumpler, first African American female doctor
- State University of New York Upstate Medical University
