What's fascinating about the Elizabeth Blackwell timeline is how quickly this remarkable woman changed the American medical profession. Today, we're not surprised to see women doctors, but in Elizabeth Blackwell's era, medicine was a strictly male profession.
Early Years
Born in England to dissenter Samuel Blackwell and his wife Hannah, Elizabeth and her siblings were home schooled by tutors. At the age of 12, the family moved to New York, where Samuel supported the movement to end slavery and started a sugar refinery business. In 1838 they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Samuel unexpectedly died, leaving Elizabeth and two of her sisters to provide for the family. They started a young women's boarding school to do so.
Teaching and Learning
In 1842 Elizabeth Blackwell started teaching in Kentucky, but didn't agree with the racist attitudes of the school. She was encouraged by a friend to become a doctor. In 1845 she moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where she began teaching and studying medicine under John Dickson, a physician. In 1846 she continued her study of medicine with Dickson's brother, Samuel, in Charleston, South Carolina. She applied to 29 different medical schools, and was rejected by all but one: Hobart College of Geneva, New York. Her acceptance marked the first time a woman had entered medical school in US history.
Elizabeth did well, studying for two years and winning over skeptical students and staff with her dedication. After graduating in 1849, she began working and studying at La Maternite Hospital. While there, she contracted an eye infection that left her blind in one eye.
Practicing Medicine
In 1851 Dr. Blackwell came back to New York and established a private practice with her sister, Emily, who had followed Elizabeth into the medical profession. The two started the New York Infirmary and College for women, a hospital staffed entirely by women doctors. This gave other women the chance to learn and practice medicine at a time when government officials were suspect of women doctors.
Dr. Blackwell returned to London in 1861 and established her practice there, continuing her crusade for women's admission to medical school. She wrote her autobiography in 1895, and served from 1875 to 1907 as professor of gynecology at the London School of Medicine for Women.
Blackwell passed away in 1910 after suffering a stroke, with her legacy in medicine firmly established. Several Elizabeth Blackwell books remain in print today, including her autobiography, Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women.
 | Learning how to write a biography is something that all students will do eventually. Share these tips with kids to help them write well-researched biographies and autobiographies. |
 | Writing an Alexander the Great biography? Knowing the basic facts of his life can help to narrow your research. |
 | James Watson and Francis Crick might not be well known in your house, but these two scientists unlocked one of the biggest secrets of life on Earth. |
Writing an autobiography for school? Try these tips to gather information, organize your thoughts and write your paper. |
While most Jackie Robinson facts focus on his life in baseball, there's a great deal more to know. Not only was he a great ballplayer, Robinson also acted, ran businesses and worked on presidential campaigns. |
