Nineteenth Century America
Shin Kickers From History: Elizabeth Blackwell, MD
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in the world to become a doctor with a degree from a certified medical school. She was determined that she would not be the last. She became, as the title of her 1895 autobiography proclaimed,* a pioneer in opening the medical profession to women. Blackwell was born in England…
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From the Archives: Lincoln’s Greatest Case–Sort Of
Brian McGinty (The Oatman Massacre) uses his skills as both attorney and historian in Lincoln’s Greatest Case: The River, The Bridge and The Making of America. In May, 1856, the steamboat Effie Afton hit a pillar of the Rock Island Bridge–the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi. Both steamboat and bridge caught fire. The Effie…
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What Did Civil War Nurses Do After the War?
The Civil War was a pivotal experience for many of the women who served as nurses, whether they served for three weeks or three years. For many it was their first time away from family and home, and their first step outside the narrow framework of what society expected from them. They learned not only…
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