Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Lynde Dix was an American advocate on behalf of the indigent mentally ill who, through a vigorous and sustained program of lobbying state legislatures and the United States Congress, created the first generation of American mental asylums. During the Civil War, she served as a Su…
What is Dix known for?
She championed causes for both the mentally ill and indigenous populations. By doing this work, she openly challenged 19th century notions of reform and illness. Additionally, Dix helped recruit nurses for the Union army during the Civil War. As a result, she transformed the field of nursing.
What year did Dorothea Dix accomplish?
In January 1843 she submitted to the Massachusetts legislature a detailed report of her thoroughly documented findings. Her dignity, compassion, and determination were effective in helping to pass a bill for the enlargement of the Worcester Insane Asylum. Dix then moved on to Rhode Island and later New York.
What did Dorothea Dix want to change?
Dorothea Dix was a social reformer dedicated to changing conditions for people who could not help themselves - the mentally ill and the imprisoned. Not only a crusader, she was also a teacher, author, lobbyist, and superintendent of nurses during the Civil War.
Why was Dorothea Dix significant during the Civil War?
During the Civil War, Dix was appointed "Superintendent of Army Nurses" for the Union army. Setting strict standards for the recruiting, training and assigning of female nurses to army hospitals, Dix enforced a policy of even-handed treatment of wounded soldiers from both armies.
How did Dorothea Dix impact society?
Dorothea Dix played an instrumental role in the founding or expansion of more than 30 hospitals for the treatment of the mentally ill. She was a leading figure in those national and international movements that challenged the idea that people with mental disturbances could not be cured or helped.
How did Dorothea Dix fail?
Although Dix's crusade was her chief preoccupation, she also lent support to prison reform and schools for the blind. Dix experienced one major setback: Her push for federal land grants to endow state mental hospitals was a failure.
How did Dorothea Dix contribute to psychology?
Dorothea Dix (1802-1887) was an advocate for the mentally ill who revolutionarily reformed the way mentally ill patients are treated. She created the first mental hospitals across the US and Europe and changed the perception of the mentally ill.
What is a quote from Dorothea Dix?
Selected Dorothea Dix Quotes "The tapestry of history has no point at which you can cut it and leave the design intelligible." "In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do." "I come to present the strong claims of suffering humanity.
Who started the mental health reform movement?
In the 1840s, Dorothea Dix led the reform movement for mental health and advocated for the “moral treatment” of individuals, for example that patients should no longer be kept in shackles or straitjackets.
What was Dorothea Dix nursing theory?
Dix's mission was to provide quality mental health nursing while providing a therapeutic atmosphere for the curable insane and comfortable housing for the incurable.
What did Dorothea Dix do nursing?
In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, Dix was appointed superintendent of the female nurses of the Union Army. In this capacity, she recruited 3,214 women for an all-volunteer corps of nurses and organized hospitals for wounded soldiers.
How old was Dorothea Dix when she died?
85 years (1802–1887)Dorothea Dix / Age at death
How old was Dorothea Dix when she died?
85 years (1802–1887)Dorothea Dix / Age at death
What did Dorothea Dix do nursing?
In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, Dix was appointed superintendent of the female nurses of the Union Army. In this capacity, she recruited 3,214 women for an all-volunteer corps of nurses and organized hospitals for wounded soldiers.
What is a quote from Dorothea Dix?
Selected Dorothea Dix Quotes "The tapestry of history has no point at which you can cut it and leave the design intelligible." "In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do." "I come to present the strong claims of suffering humanity.
When did Dorothea Dix become a nurse?
June 10, 1861With the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, Dix shifted her focus from mental illness and reform to nursing when she was appointed as the Superintendent of Army Nurses on June 10, 1861.
Who Was Dorothea Dix?
Dorothea Dix was a social reformer whose devotion to the welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread international reforms. After seeing horrific conditions in a Massachusetts prison, she spent the next 40 years lobbying U.S. and Canadian legislators to establish state hospitals for the mentally ill. Her efforts directly affected the building of 32 institutions in the United States.
Who was Dorothea Dix's father?
Dorothea Lynde Dix was born on April 4, 1802, in Hampden, Maine. She was the eldest of three children, and her father, Joseph Dix , was a religious fanatic and distributor of religious tracts who made Dorothea stitch and paste the tracts together, a chore she hated.
What did Dix discover about the mental illness?
She discovered the appalling treatment of the prisoners, particularly those with mental illnesses, whose living quarters had no heat.
Where did Dix live?
At age 12, Dix left home to live with her grandmother in Boston, and then an aunt in Worcester, Massachusetts. She began teaching school at age 14. In 1819, she returned to Boston and founded the Dix Mansion, a school for girls, along with a charity school that poor girls could attend for free.
Did Dix get married?
Though Dix had many admirers over her lifetime, and was briefly engaged to her second cousin, Edward Bangs, she never married.
What did Dorothea Dix do?
After Dix's health forced her to relinquish her school, she began working as a governess on Beacon Hill for the family of William Ellery Channing, a leading Unitarian intellectual. It was while working with his family that Dix traveled to St. Croix, where she first witnessed slavery at first hand, though her experience did not dispose her sympathies toward abolitionism. In 1831, she established a model school for girls in Boston, operating it until 1836, when she suffered a breakdown. Dix was encouraged to take a trip to Europe to improve her health. While she was there she met British social reformers who inspired her. These reformers included Elizabeth Fry, Samuel Tuke and William Rathbone with whom she lived during the duration of her trip in Europe. In hopes of a cure, in 1836 she traveled to England, where she met the Rathbone family. During her trip in Europe and her stay with the Rathbone family, Dorothea's grandmother passed away and left her a "sizable estate, along with her royalties" which allowed her to live comfortably for the remainder of her life. It was also during this trip that she came across an institution in Turkey, which she used as a model institution despite its conditions being just like other facilities. They invited her as a guest to Greenbank, their ancestral mansion in Liverpool. The Rathbones were Quakers and prominent social reformers. At Greenbank, Dix met their circle of men and women who believed that government should play a direct, active role in social welfare. She was also introduced to the reform movement for care of the mentally ill in Great Britain, known as lunacy reform. Its members were making deep investigations of madhouses and asylums, publishing their studies in reports to the House of Commons.
Where did Dix teach?
She began to teach in a school all for girls in Worcester, Massachusetts at fourteen years old and had developed her own curriculum for her class, in which she emphasized ethical living and the natural sciences. In about 1821 Dix opened a school in Boston, which was patronized by well-to-do families.
Why did Dix visit Nova Scotia?
Dix visited the British colony of Nova Scotia in 1853 to study its care of the mentally ill. During her visit, she traveled to Sable Island to investigate reports of mentally ill patients being abandoned there. Such reports were largely unfounded. While on Sable Island, Dix assisted in a shipwreck rescue. Upon her return to Boston, she led a successful campaign to send upgraded life-saving equipment to the island. The day after supplies arrived, a ship was wrecked on the island. Thankfully, because of Dix's work, 180 people were saved.
What was the cause of the Dix movement?
Dix circa 1850-55. Reform movements for treatment of the mentally ill were related in this period to other progressive causes: abolitionism, temperance, and voter reforms. After returning to America, in 1840-41 Dix conducted a statewide investigation of care for the mentally ill poor in Massachusetts.
Where did Dorothea Lynde grow up?
Born in the town of Hampden, Maine, she grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts among her parents' relatives. She was the first child of three born to Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow, who had deep ancestral roots in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her mother suffered from poor health, thus she wasn't able to provide consistent support to her children. Her father was an itinerant bookseller and Methodist preacher. At the age of twelve, she and her two brothers were sent to their wealthy grandmother, Dorothea Lynde (wife of Dr. Elijah Dix) in Boston to get away from her alcoholic parents and abusive father. She began to teach in a school all for girls in Worcester, Massachusetts at fourteen years old and had developed her own curriculum for her class, in which she emphasized ethical living and the natural sciences. In about 1821 Dix opened a school in Boston, which was patronized by well-to-do families. Soon afterward she also began teaching poor and neglected children out of the barn of her grandmother's house, but she suffered poor health. It has been suggested that Dorothea suffered from major depressive episodes, which contributed to her poor health. From 1824 to 1830, she wrote mainly devotional books and stories for children. Her Conversations on Common Things (1824) reached its sixtieth edition by 1869. In addition, her book Conversation on Common Things, was reprinted 60 times and written in the style of a conversation between mother and daughter. Her book The Garland of Flora (1829) was, along with Elizabeth Wirt 's Flora's Dictionary, one of the first two dictionaries of flowers published in the United States. Other books of Dix's include Private Hours, Alice and Ruth, and Prisons and Prison Discipline.
How many flags did Dix have?
She was awarded with two national flags, these flags being for "the Care, Succor, and Relief of the Sick and wounded Soldiers of the United States on the Battle-Field, in Camps and Hospitals during the recent war.". Dix ultimately founded thirty-two hospitals, and influenced the creation of two others in Japan.
Why did Dix give the Fountain for thirsty horses to Boston?
Fountain for thirsty horses Dix gave to the city of Boston to honor the MSPCA.
What were Dorothea Dix's greatest accomplishments?
She was born on 4th April, 1802, in the state of Maine. Daughter of Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow, Dorothea Dix dedicated her life for the welfare, security and fair treatment of mentally disabled people.
What was Dorothea Dix's role in the mental health system?
It was during her growing up years that she developed her sensitivity that would later get channeled in her fight against the inhuman conditions and inhuman treatment that were prevalent in mental institutions. People with psychological conditions were treated in a cruel and undignified manner back then. Her first stint with such mistreatment was at a local jail where she was supposed to teach the inmates but got exposed to the cruelties that were being inflicted upon those suffering from an array of mental health conditions. She made it her mission to ensure the welfare of those suffering from any type of mental, cognitive or psychological condition.
What did Dorothea Dix write to the legislature of Massachusetts demanding?
Championing Rights of the Insane. Dorothea Dix wrote to the legislature of Massachusetts demanding the reformation of the living conditions of the mentally challenged and clinically insane.
What states did Dorothea Dix work in?
She succeeded in compelling the legislatures to bring in reforms that saw the setting up of mental institutes and hospitals across the country, including New York, North Carolina, New Jersey and Maryland. The life and legacy of Dorothea Dix are interesting pieces of modern history, especially American history.
Why did Dorothea Dix leave the army?
Owing to her accomplishments and proven sensibilities, Dorothea Dix was inducted by the Union Army as the Superintendent of Army Nurses in 1861. She worked for four years and resigned after she could not come to terms with the way Army doctors worked.
What was Dorothea Dix's mission?
She made it her mission to ensure the welfare of those suffering from any type of mental, cognitive or psychological condition. 2. Early Career of Dorothea Dix. Dorothea Dix started a school in Boston, taught the neglected children of poor families and those who did not even have proper families.
Who was the most effective humanitarian reformer in the United States?
History remembers Dorothea Dix as the most efficient, effective and accomplished champion of humanitarian reform in the United States of America. She was singlehandedly responsible in reforming the American mental institutions during the 19th century. She succeeded in compelling the legislatures to bring in reforms that saw the setting up of mental institutes and hospitals across the country, including New York, North Carolina, New Jersey and Maryland.
Overview
Dorothea Lynde Dix (April 4, 1802 – July 17, 1887) was an American advocate on behalf of the indigent mentally ill who, through a vigorous and sustained program of lobbying state legislatures and the United States Congress, created the first generation of American mental asylums. During the Civil War, she served as a Superintendent of Army Nurses.
Early life
Born in the town of Hampden, Maine, she grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts among her parents' relatives. She was the first child of three born to Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow, who had deep ancestral roots in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her mother suffered from poor health, thus she wasn't able to provide consistent support to her children. Her father was an itinerant bookseller and Methodist preacher. At the age of twelve, she and her two brothers were sent to their wealth…
Antebellum career
Reform movements for treatment of the mentally ill were related in this period to other progressive causes: abolitionism, temperance, and voter reforms. After returning to America, in 1840-41 Dix conducted a statewide investigation of care for the mentally ill poor in Massachusetts. Dorothea's interest for helping out the mentally ill of society started while she was teaching classes to female prison…
The Civil War
During the American Civil War, Dix, on June 10, 1861, was appointed Superintendent of Army Nurses by the Union Army, beating out Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell.
Dix set guidelines for nurse candidates. Volunteers were to be aged 35 to 50 and plain-looking. They were required to wear unhooped black or brown dresses, with no jewelry or cosmetics. Dix wanted to avoid sending vulnerable, attractive young women into the hospitals, where she feare…
Postwar life
At the end of the war, Dix helped raise funds for the national monument to deceased soldiers at Fortress Monroe. Following the war, she resumed her crusade to improve the care of prisoners, the disabled, and the mentally ill. Her first step was to review the asylums and prisons in the South to evaluate the war damage to their facilities. In addition to pursuing prisons reforms after the civil war, she also worked on improving life-saving services in Nova Scotia, establishing a war memo…
Honors
• Dix was elected "President for Life" of the Army Nurses Association (a social club for Civil War Volunteer Nurses), but she had little to do with the organization. She opposed its efforts to get military pensions for its members.
• In December 1866 she was awarded two national flags for her service during the Civil War. This award was awarded for "the Care, Succor, and Relief of the Sick and wounded Soldiers of the United States on the Battle-Field, in Camps and Hospitals during th…
Works
• The Garland of Flora, Boston: S.G. Goodrich & Co., and Carter & Hendee, 1829, retrieved November 12, 2010. Published anonymously.
• Remarks on Prisons and Prison Discipline in the United States, 2nd edition, from the 1st Boston edition, Philadelphia: Joseph Kite & Co, 1845, retrieved November 12, 2010
See also
• Kirkbride Plan
• Dorothea Dix Hospital
• Other nurses of the American Civil War
• Virginia Gonzalez Torres - often referred to as Dorothea Dix of Mexico