Elizabeth Blackwell was
born February 3, 1821 in Bristol, England. Her parents were Samuel and Hannah
Blackwell. Her father hired private tutors that taught his daughters the same
schooling as the boys. Her mother introduced them to music and literature. When
Elizabeth was 12 her father decided to move his family to New York. In 1832
they then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio after her father's sugar refinery shut
down. A few months later her father passed away, because of his death the three
older girls started a boarding school for young women.
A friend of Elizabeth's encouraged her to study medicine, which she didn't really consider for a while. However, she then changed her mind and was quite determined to become a doctor. Although many of her friends told her she would never be accepted unless dressed like a man. Then in 1845 she moved to Asheville, North Carolina. When she had some spare time away from teaching she studied medicine with the help of physician John Dickson. She then moved to a girl's school in Charleston, South Carolina. In South Carolina she had more time to devote to her studies and studied alongside Samuel Dickson.
When it came time for Elizabeth to apply to medical schools she faced many rejections. She had applied to schools in Pennsylvania and New York and had gotten reject to all of those schools. She then decided to apply to smaller schools farther north. She was accepted to Geneva Medical College in 1847. Later on, she learned that she was accepted as a joke and was originally rejected. Originally, Blackwell was not allowed into demonstrations but after some time her personality and hard work won over her peers and professors. She graduated in 1849 and went to work in a hospital. While working there she contracted purulent conjunctivitis, this eye infection left her blind in one eye.
A friend of Elizabeth's encouraged her to study medicine, which she didn't really consider for a while. However, she then changed her mind and was quite determined to become a doctor. Although many of her friends told her she would never be accepted unless dressed like a man. Then in 1845 she moved to Asheville, North Carolina. When she had some spare time away from teaching she studied medicine with the help of physician John Dickson. She then moved to a girl's school in Charleston, South Carolina. In South Carolina she had more time to devote to her studies and studied alongside Samuel Dickson.
When it came time for Elizabeth to apply to medical schools she faced many rejections. She had applied to schools in Pennsylvania and New York and had gotten reject to all of those schools. She then decided to apply to smaller schools farther north. She was accepted to Geneva Medical College in 1847. Later on, she learned that she was accepted as a joke and was originally rejected. Originally, Blackwell was not allowed into demonstrations but after some time her personality and hard work won over her peers and professors. She graduated in 1849 and went to work in a hospital. While working there she contracted purulent conjunctivitis, this eye infection left her blind in one eye.