Stuff You Should Know Selects: Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Feminist Physician
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Jul 13, 2024 Explore the inspiring journey of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, America’s first licensed female physician. Discover her groundbreaking acceptance into medical school and her relentless fight for hygiene in healthcare. The podcast highlights her challenges in a male-dominated society and the later flourishing of women in medicine due to her efforts. Reflect on her complex feminist beliefs and the legacy she left behind, while also enjoying some playful comparisons with popular culture. A tribute to a true pioneer!
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Blackwell's Upbringing
- Elizabeth Blackwell was born in 1821, the third of nine children in a Quaker family.
- Her parents, Samuel and Hannah Blackwell, were abolitionists and supporters of women's suffrage.
Unconventional Education
- Samuel Blackwell, Elizabeth's father, believed in educating all children equally, regardless of gender.
- He hired tutors to teach his daughters the same subjects as his sons, which was unconventional at the time.
Financial Hardship
- After a fire destroyed his sugar refinery, Samuel Blackwell moved his family to New York and later Cincinnati.
- He died of a fever shortly after arriving in Cincinnati, leaving his family in financial difficulty.