Selects: Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Feminist Physician

Elizabeth Blackwell's formative years in a prominent Quaker family laid a strong foundation for her future as a trailblazing female physician, emphasizing education, social justice, and moral rectitude.

Blackwell was raised in a prominent Quaker family that emphasized education, social justice, and moral rectitude.

Josh Clark mentions that Elizabeth Blackwell's Quaker background instilled in her qualities commonly cherished by Quakers such as integrity and social responsibility. Chuck Bryant confirms that Blackwell's family were Quakers and speaks highly of the Quakers he has known, suggesting that Quakers possess admirable characteristics and are principled and ethical, akin to Buddhists in their ethical stance.

Blackwell's parents, Samuel and Hannah Blackwell, were progressive Quakers who rejected corporal punishment and encouraged their daughters to pursue educational opportunities traditionally limited to men.

The Blackwell family was a fitting example of an active Quaker household, known for their pacifism and advocacy for education and social reform. Samuel Blackwell, a vocal dissenter of the Church of England's sole religious authority, ensured that his daughters received the same caliber of education as his sons by hiring private tutors, as they could not attend the public school system. He and his wife Hannah believed strongly in nurturing their children's potential without resorting to physical punishment, employing a demerit system at home instead.

The Blackwells, including Elizabeth, were staunch abolitionists from a young age, bypassing sugar in their diet due to its association with slave labor, a testament to the family’s commitment to ethical living in accordance with their Quaker beliefs.

The Blackwell family were active abolitionists and supporters of women's suffrage, laying the groundwork for Blackwell's own commitment to social reform.

Samuel Blackwell was a complex figure who, despite profiting from sugar refining, sought methods to innovate and minimize the dependency on slave labor in the industry. The children's firm ...

Blackwell demonstrated remarkable determination and resilience as she pursued her goal to become a doctor in the face of significant discrimination and skepticism. Her story is one of persistence, tenacity, and the drive to forge new pathways for women in the field of medicine.

Blackwell overcame a natural aversion to medicine and anatomy to pursue her calling as a doctor, driven by the story of a dying friend.

Elizabeth Blackwell was repeatedly rejected by medical schools, but she did not let that deter her from applying. She saved money for her applications by teaching in slave states, an environment that was challenging for her because of her opposition to slavery. In these states, she also had the desire to educate enslaved children, but was limited to teaching them in Sunday school because of legal restrictions on their education. Despite being rejected by all the medical schools in New York and Philadelphia and 12 more in the Northeast, her persistence paid off when her thirtieth application led to an unexpected acceptance by Geneva Medical College in 1847, thanks to a practical joke that backfired on the male students who voted unanimously for her admission.

Blackwell faced jeers, condescension, and attempts to exclude her from certain lectures during her medical studies, but she persisted and graduated at the top of her class.

At Geneva Medical College, Blackwell encountered a new set of challenges: the boisterous culture of the medical school was filled with crude jokes during lectures. However, her presence brought a more serious atmosphere to the classes she attended. Her experience made the news, with outlets like the Boston Medical Journal commenting on her composure and even the shape of her head—a nod to the now-discredited field of phrenology.

Blackwell's pioneering efforts to become a licensed female physician in the United States faced significant skepticism and resistance from the medical establishment.

Upon her return to ...

Elizabeth Blackwell's tireless work and advocacy led to the establishment of critical medical institutions for women and influenced the trajectory of healthcare and medical education.

Blackwell co-founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children

In the mid-19th century, Elizabeth Blackwell, together with Dr. Emily Blackwell and Dr. Marie Zakrzewska, founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children.

The Infirmary provided critical health services to underserved populations and trained a new generation of female physicians, overcoming significant societal biases.

The Infirmary began in a single rented room on Bleecker Street in the West Village, where Elizabeth Blackwell saw patients for a few afternoons each week. The institution, formally incorporated in 1854, initially operated out of this modest space but subsequently moved to a small house in the Lower East Side to continue its expansion. By 1856, Elizabeth was joined by her sister Emily, who had received her medical degree from Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Together, they worked to grow the New York Infirmary, which served both as a clinic providing critical health services to underserved populations and one of the first medical schools for women in the United States.

Blackwell's sister Emily joined her in running the Infirmary and medical school, further expanding their impact.

The Blackwell sisters' joint efforts in running the Infirmary and the medical school furthered their significant impact on society, as they were steadfastly overcoming the biases that existed against women in the profession of medicine.

Blackwell later established similar medical institutions for women in London

Elizabeth Blackwell's dedication to women's medical education extended beyond the United States as she sought to make similar advancements in London.

Blackwell's London School of Medicine for Women helped pave the way for greater acceptance of women in the medical field in the UK.

In 1874, Blackwell, along with notable physicians Sophia Jex Blake and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, established the London School of Medicine for Women. Her influence was further cemented in 1876 when her efforts agitated for legislation that would finally grant women the right to attain medical degrees in England.

Blackwell's work as a public hea ...