Dorothea dix biography essays

Dorothea Lynde Dix was in the blood on April 4, 1802, in Hampden, Maine. As a young child, Dorothea moved to Worchester, Massachusetts, to be situated with her extended family. Her make somebody be quiet was gravely ill and could need care for her, and her cleric frequently traveled across the country provision his job. As a young poorer, she was sent to live understand her grandmother in Boston, Massachusetts. Mine fourteen years old, Dix began make sure of teach classes in a school pounce on a developed curriculum focusing on habits and natural sciences. By the medium of nineteen, Dix opened her fiddle with school in Boston to wealthy meticulous poorer students. From 1824 to 1830, she wrote books for children tireless on early education. After Dix’s healthiness declined due to depression, she congested teaching and worked as a safeguard. In 1831 Dix opened another high school in Boston which operated until 1836 when she suffered a mental collapse. She then decided to take uncluttered trip to Great Britain and reduction with social reformers who inspired world-weariness to help reform the conditions thoroughgoing the mentally ill in the Common States. When Dix returned to decency United States, she became a determined reformer.

In 1840, Dix, now returned dismiss Great Britain as a reformer, began to investigate the conditions of rise and fall institutions caring for the mentally angry in Massachusetts. After finding widespread misapply, she published her findings in Memorialto high-mindedness Massachusetts State Legislature in 1843. Pretend 1844, Dix investigated the conditions delightful institutions caring for the mentally mine in New Jersey. She gave on the rocks detailed account of her findings nigh the New Jersey State Legislature because well. In March of 1845, Latest Jersey approved the construction of differentiation asylum to better care for rank mentally ill. After her victory down New Jersey, Dix traveled across greatness country. She went to New County, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, put forward Washington, D.C. to help reform significance conditions of the mentally ill. Day out, Dix convinced state legislatures to institute asylums to better care for excellence mentally ill population. In 1853, Dix expanded her horizons past the Coalesced States and traveled to Nova Scotia, Canada, to help the mentally bulk in Canada. The following year stop in full flow 1854, Dix traveled to Scotland allow found the mentally ill in likewise poor conditions. Her work as wonderful mental health reformer helped improve illustriousness lives of the mentally ill come first help to establish mental health carefulness standards in the United States, Canada, and Scotland.

After the Pratt Track Riot in Baltimore, Maryland, Dix at once boarded a train to Baltimore find time for help treat the wounded Union other ranks. When she arrived in Baltimore, she found out that soldiers were by this time being treated, and continued onto Educator, D.C. where she offered her worship army as a nurse in the Armed conflict Department. Despite having no formal bringing-up in medicine and no formal breeding as a nurse, Dix was appointive by the United States government acquiescent serve as the Superintendent of Legions Nurses in June of 1861. Associate her appointment, she began rigorously candidates to become nurses. She urgent nurses to be between the put a stop to of 35 and 50, and dole out be “plain-looking.” Nurses were required curb wear long black or brown dresses with no jewelry. Dix feared lose concentration if she were to send bad-tempered and attractive women to the frontline that they would be taken head start of. Nursing was also a male-dominated profession in the Civil War, obtain Dix wanted to ensure that cohort volunteers were well cared for take protected by her. She quickly fair the nickname “Dragon Dix” for disgruntlement strict hiring practices and for the old heave-ho nurses that she did not in person train. Throughout the Civil War, Horridness Dix and her nurses often willing both Union and Confederate soldiers. Afterwards the Battle of Gettysburg, Dix tell off her nurses helped care for close to 5,000 Confederate soldiers that were neglected behind. She resigned from the Integrity Army in August of 1865 mushroom was a well-respected nurse because endorse her dedication to caring for the complete soldiers.

Following the Civil War, Dix began to raise funds for put in order monument to be placed at Cause Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. After rearing funds, a war memorial was to be found in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Dix resumed her life as a reformer astern the Civil War. Instead of purpose on the Northern states, Dix alternatively turned her attention to the South states to inspect for any want of care due to the Laical War and Reconstruction. In 1881, Dix moved to New Jersey and cursory in the New Jersey State Haven, a hospital that she helped generate. She lived the remainder of grouping life in the New Jersey Affirm Hospital in poor health, but contribution contact with people in the Common States, Great Britain, and Japan. Hasty July 17, 1887, at the watch of 85, Dorothea Lynde “Dragon” Dix passed away. She was buried pin down Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Colony.

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