1821-1910

English American Physician and Medical Educator

Elizabeth Blackwell was a pioneer in opening the medical profession to women and served as an inspiration to generations of American girls. Although Blackwell is often described as the first woman doctor in America, this is not strictly true. Other women had practiced medicine and obstetrics, but Blackwell was the first woman in American history to earn a degree from an orthodox medical college.

Elizabeth Blackwell was born in Bristol, England, into a large, well-to-do family. When a fire destroyed her father's business in 1832, the family immigrated to America. Eventually, the Blackwells settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Samuel Blackwell died in 1838, leaving his widow with nine children and little money. The oldest girls supported the family by running a boarding school until their brothers established themselves in business. The Blackwells were interested in many social reform movements, including the...