Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in America and one of my heroes. 

She was born on February 3, 1821 in England, 100 years before women got the vote. When she was alive women were considered their father's  property and later they were their husband's property. 

For work, it was only proper for a woman to be a nanny, school teacher or wife. 

It was not actually Elizabeth's idea to become a doctor it was her friend Mary Donaldson's idea. Donaldson said she would much rather be examined by a woman rather than a man when she had to see a doctor. This put the idea into Elizabeth's head that she could help her friend and other women by becoming a doctor.  The idea gnawed at Elizabeth. She thought about it over tea, at sewing circles and she dreamed about it at night. 

But, it wasn't an easy thing to do because there wasn't a single medical school that wanted a woman, even though her dad gave his permission for her to attend. 

She finally received a letter from a school in New York that accepted her and she was able to attend medical school. 

Elizabeth was teased and harassed by the men in her class. They were hoping she would leave, but she didn't. She graduated in 1849, with the highest grades in the whole class. 

She had become the first female doctor in America.