“If society will not admit of woman’s free development, then society must be remodeled,” said Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor (“Elizabeth Blackwell Quotes”). This quote showcases Blackwell’s views on society and explains how women should be able to grow freely in the world. Elizabeth Blackwell’s accomplishments led her to become one of the first revolutionary women to shake up the woman’s suffrage movement in the mid-1800s. She came of age in a time where most women felt ashamed about their bodies, so ashamed that they would forgo an examination by a male physician if they fell ill. While seen as the norm in modern day society, the idea of a female doctor in the 19th century evoked feelings of disbelief and sandal, even to a conservative …show more content…
As states in “Elizabeth Blackwell: Physician and Health Education,” Blackwell graduated first in her class, a class which consisted of only herself and other men. She successfully proved that even in a hostile environment, even when considered the odd one out, one can excel in her studies. Additionally, she refused to back down in the face of aversion. Many different hospitals outright refused to grant Blackwell a job because of her gender; a few well-meaning colleagues suggested that Blackwell disguise herself as a man for interviews and job opportunities, but she dismissed the proposition (Peck). Elizabeth worked tirelessly to get to her position as a female doctor, and she refused to resort to tricks and costumes to earn respect. She proved the men of her era wrong by opening a multitude of different clinics and infirmaries. As said in an article by Women’s Suffrage in America, “[In New York City], she founded the New York Dispensary for Poor Women and Children in 1854 and, with her sister Emily Blackwell, the New York Infirmary of Indigent Women and Children in 1857” (Cullen-DuPont and Frost-Knappman). Blackwell managed to travel around the prejudices of her time by starting her own practice and infirmary. She earned her own type of respect without any deceit or trickery. Because of her determination to practice medicine on her own terms, Blackwell created a way for her to practice medicine and help others in her own