Elizabeth Blackwell: Breaking Down Prejudice Against Women In Medicine

Claim: Though an issue that has resolved on account of a mindset reform, Between 1826 to the early 21st Century, Women suffered from educational inequality because of the perceptions society had towards them. “The education of girls and young adult women in Colonial America appeared to have received inadequate attention. A sex bias favored males in quality and quantity of educational opportunity, women's education in Colonial America was richer than is popularly conceived,” says Huey P Long, PhD in Education & Educational Research, obtained from Stanford University. This sex bias and unequal educational opportunity is best seen in 1826, when the first ‘schools’ for girls opened in New York and Boston. “The American Journal of Education wrote

Mary Fairfax was born on 28th December 1780, in a Mansion on the Scottish Borders. In a time when women were not considered full citizens- with no right to vote, and a minimal education provided only to the ladies of the elite, Mary Fairfax broke all boundaries to prove to society that gender and brilliance are not mutually excusive. Her story is one of courage and determination. Having read through her biography, I was convinced that she was a fascinating human being. In this essay I will focus on the socio-cultural context of her accomplishments, particularly due to her gender.

Phillis Wheatley, the first African American, the first U.S slave, and the third woman to publish a book of poems during a time where women and slaves were property. I wonder why I have never heard, seen, or taught about this person. Uncle Tom’s cabin was mentioned a million times, so why not her? Is Wheatley surreptitious? After perusing, it became apparent that her life was an anomaly.

Elizabeth Blackwell The First Female Doctor In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell was a twenty-eight year old woman who had just become the first female to earn the M.D. degree in America. Originally from Bristol, England, Elizabeth moved to America when she was 11, because her father wanted to help abolish slavery and for financial reasons. While growing up she had no interest in studying medicine, but became a teacher until her mind was changed when her dying friend said that she would not have suffered as much if her doctor had been a woman. Since she had no idea how to become a doctor, she inquired with family friends who were doctors, most of them told her it was a good idea however, it was impossible.

Mississippi University for Women was established 1884 in the township of Columbus, Mississippi by the Mississippi Legislature. This institution is known for beginning the first all-female university in the United States. The association was formally named the Industrial Institute and College for the Education of White Girls and then renamed for the first time to Mississippi State College for Women in 1920. Over time, the college was changed for the third and final time to Mississippi University for Women to represent the development of the studies offered from the university, in addition to a graduate program in 1974. In the supreme court case, Mississippi University v. Hogan was the defendant in the case, being sued for not allowing admission

Clara Barton, she founded the American Red Cross which helps more than 100 million people a year. Harriet Tubman, she guided over 300 slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Marie Curie, she was the first woman to win the nobel prize; she also won it another time after. Throughout history, women have defied all odds and began or did something that was amazing. The Odyssey written by Homer has shown view points in his story that contrast greatly to the conventional way of thinking.

You discussed great points on gender barriers. I totally agree with you that gender biases are harmful to the nursing profession and create a cycle that limits the role of males in nursing. So what can we, as a profession, do to address this barrier of men joining the nursing profession? One of the solutions is for the nursing schools to strengthen their efforts to attract more male students into the program. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing AACN (2015) indicates that, a lack of diversity in the educational pipeline correlates to a lack of diversity in the nursing workforce.

Clara Barton Throughout the course of human history, nothing we do has ever had as rapid and drastic an effect on history as war. Disasters would be near second place, and coincidentally Clara Barton affected both. Out of a multitude of achievements things, she was a nurse during the Civil War, did many things women of her day could not, and started the American Red Cross. Clara Barton was revolutionary for her influence on society and medicine in American history.

In colonial times(1800) people did not have the same opportunities/skills as people today,medicines were made from measured amounts of herbs,minerals,and animal products. Colonial women played an important role in medicine,they made medicines from available resources. Slaves usually did not live in the best conditions,and were prone to many diseases,three conditions that might have lead to disease were:salty,putrid and oily conditions in the body (“Colonial Medicine” 1,3).With that they were also exposed to attacks on worms and insects because of the lack of clothing and shoes as a result to that benign tumors evolved into malignancies (Aguilera-Manzano 394).African American slaves were often mistreated,therefore they did not have any natural

“Life isn’t about pushing your limits. It’s about discovering them,” Philippe Gatta, a famous explorer, had once said. For all explorers it always seems that the most exciting thing about discovering objects and exploring new places is the challenges they get to overcome as they move forward. Women explorers, especially back in the 1800s - 1900s, had to push through many problems on their way to doing what they dream of. These challenges could range from the sexist point-of-view of their male counterparts or just the type of environment they are traveling in.

Elizabeth Blackwell’s Contribution to Women in the Medical Field A spark lit by Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell ignited the inspiration of women all throughout the world by her astonishing achievement becoming the United States first female physician. Doing so, Dr. Blackwell established countless opportunities in the medical profession directed towards helping women throughout America. Undertaking her great feat was by no means leisurely nor frivolous, even so, she knew the benefits her sacrifices would formulate. Elizabeth was not always intrigued in joining the medical field until her early adult years of her life.

When you think about women’s rights activists and women involved in the anti-slavery movement in the 19th century, you usually think about Susan B. Anthony, but in reality, there was another woman that was also greatly involved. Her name was Lucy Stone. She was most famous for being the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a bachelor's degree, for being elected president of the State Woman's Suffrage Association of New Jersey, for helping found the American Equal Rights Association, and for being the first woman in the United States to keep her own surname after marriage. One of her sister-in-laws, Elizabeth Blackwell, was the first woman to have a medical degree. Her other sister-in-law, Antoinette Brown Blackwell, was the first woman to