Dorothea_Lynde_Dix_-_Social_Reformer

Dorothea Lynde Dix - Social Reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix had a profound effect as a single person on social reforms in early America. Although Dorothea had a troubled childhood, she was able to cause major reforms not only in America but also in Europe and other countries. She reformed the treatment for the mentally ill and helped create female nursing in the US Army. Gaining respect from generals and politicians Dorothea worked almost her entire life teaching and reforming. Dorothea Lynde Dix was born on April 4th, 1802 in Hampden, Maine (Bio, 1). Dorothea was the first child of three born to Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow Dix (Bumb, 1). Joseph Dix was a Methodist preacher, who later became a missionary (Wmol, 1). When she was young, Dorothea’s father taught her to read and write. However, Mary was mentally ill and Joseph was an abusive alcoholic who ignored the family. Having to raise her brothers by herself, Dorothea missed out on a child hood (Bumb, 1). When she was ten her grandmother from Boston took her and her brothers in (Bio, 1). Dorothea’s grandmother (Joseph’s mother) was wealththy and lived in a mansion in Boston. Upon dorothea, school, grandmother, bumb, dix, years, bio, women, nurses, new, edward, dr, after, wmol, thousand, teach, reforms, over, massachusetts, ill, europe, created, boston, become, army, america, wrote, three, teaching, returned, reform, people, ordway, lynde, later, joseph, hospitals, girls, dorothea’s, became, war, wanted, two, traveled, time, social, rooms, once, mentally, insane