Elizabeth Blackwell: Biography
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in Bristol, England on February 3, 1821 to parents Samuel and Hannah Blackwell. She had 4 sisters and 4 brothers. Mr. Blackwell wanted the same education for both his sons, and daughters, so he hired private tutors for all of them. At age 11, Blackwell and her family moved to the United States. When Blackwell's father died in 1838, she and her sisters became teachers to help save money for the family. One day, Elizabeth's friend, Mary McDonald, who was dying from cancer told her that she wasn't comfortable with a male doctor and suggested that Blackwell herself should become a doctor. At first Elizabeth didn't really like this idea, but she kept on thinking about it and finally decided to submit for a medical college. But, every college Blackwell submitted to denied her acceptance, just because she was a woman. So when she submitted to Geneva Medical School, she was really surprised to be accepted. In Geneva, the directors gave the choice to the students to decide whether to admit her or not. Since they all thought it was a practical joke, they agreed. When Blackwell walked through the Geneva School's doors, every student was startled. At first all the students wouldn't treat her fairly and would exclude her out of medical demonstrations because she was a woman, but later Blackwell proved herself to everyone as a worthy medical student. Blackwell graduated from Geneva Medical School in 1849 changing history for becoming the first woman ever in the U.S to graduate from a medical university. Since Blackwell was not allowed to attend most hospitals, she moved to Paris, France and worked at "La Maternita Hospital". While working here, Blackwell caught a terrible eye disease from one of the patients, which resulted having her eye replaced with a glass one. This made her blind in one eye, which would not allow her to become a surgeon. When Blackwell returned to New York in the United States, she and her sister, Emily Blackwell, founded the "New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children" which had an entirely female staff. This hospital helped many women and children that were sick and diseased. During the Civil War, Blackwell also trained female doctors that greatly helped the Union Army. In 1868, Elizabeth Blackwell and Florence Nightingale, who she was great friends with, opened the "Women's Medical College". Blackwell also taught at the "London School of Medicine for Women". Elizabeth Blackwell died on May 31, 1910 in Hastings, England being known as the first woman physicist and doctor ever in the U.S, a women's right activist, and a believer.