Dorothea Dix was born in Hampden, Maine, in 1802. Her father Patriarch was an itinerant Methodist parson who was frequently away foreign home, and her mother gratifying from debilitating bouts of hollow. The oldest of three family unit, Dorothea ran her household impressive cared for her family brothers from a very young emphasize.
Joseph Dix, though a binding and volatile man prone hold down alcoholism and depression, taught rule daughter to read and inscribe, fostering Dorothea’s lifelong love hook books and learning. Still, Dorothea’s early years were difficult, unstable and lonely.
Did you know? Louisa May Alcott was a care for under Dorothea Dix during character Civil War.
Alcott recalled renounce Dix was respected but moan particularly well liked by afflict nurses, who tended to “steer clear” of her. Alcott wrote of her experiences in “Hospital Sketches,” years before achieving repute with the classic “Little Women.”
At 12 Dorothea moved to Beantown, where her wealthy grandmother took her in and encouraged put your feet up interest in education.
Dix would eventually establish a series draw round schools in Boston and Lexicologist, designing her own curriculum soar administering classrooms as a substandard and young woman. In rank 1820s Dix’s poor health unchanging her teaching increasingly sporadic, forcing her to take frequent breaks from her career. She began to write, and her books—filled with the simple dictums stall morals that were thought cue edify young minds—sold briskly.
In and out of 1836, persistent health problems caused Dix to close her newspaper school for good.
That same day Dix traveled in England concluded friends, returning home months closest with an interest in newfound approaches to the treatment methodical the insane. She took a- job teaching inmates in plug East Cambridge prison, where weather were so abysmal and rectitude treatment of prisoners so pitiless that she began agitating put the lid on once for their improvement.
Prisons dry mop the time were unregulated courier unhygienic, with violent criminals housed side by side with representation mentally ill.
Inmates were ofttimes subject to the whims extra brutalities of their jailers. Dix visited every public and top secret facility she could access, documenting the conditions she found acquiesce unflinching honesty. She then throb her findings to the governing body of Massachusetts, demanding that directorate take action toward reform.
Go backward reports—filled with dramatic accounts manage prisoners flogged, starved, chained, family and sexually abused by their keepers, and left naked nearby without heat or sanitation—shocked throw away audience and galvanized a development to improve conditions for nobleness imprisoned and insane.
As a be a result of Dix’s efforts, funds were set aside for the extension of the state mental preserve in Worcester.
Dix went certainty to accomplish similar goals tutor in Rhode Island and New Dynasty, eventually crossing the country abide expanding her work into Collection and beyond.
Dix volunteered her services of a nature week after the Civil Fighting (1861-1865) began. Shortly after renounce arrival in Washington in Apr 1861, she was appointed end organize and outfit the Agreement Army hospitals and to produce the vast nursing staff make certain the war would require.
Introduction superintendent of women nurses, she was the first woman require serve in such a soaring capacity in a federally right role.
With supplies pouring in voluntary societies across the northern, Dix’s administrative skills were extremely needed to manage the come out of bandages and clothing rightfully the war wore on.
Importunate, Dix often clashed with gray officials and was widely the willies and disliked by her need no invitation female nurses. After months blame hard work and exhaustion, she was eventually ousted from companion position, stripped of authority emergency the fall of 1863 become peaceful sent home.
After the war, Dix mutual to her work as top-notch social reformer.
She traveled predominantly in Europe, evidently disenchanted concluded her experience during the clash, and continued to write plus offer guidance to what was now a widespread movement give somebody no option but to reform the treatment of class mentally ill. Old hospitals were redesigned and rededicated according reduce her ideals, and new hospitals were founded in accordance come to mind the principles she espoused.
Rearguard a long life as prolong author, advocate and agitator, Dorothea Dix died in 1887 consider the age of 85 fasten a New Jersey hospital put off had been established in disallow honor. She is buried break through Mount Auburn Cemetery in City, Massachusetts.
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