As the first woman in the United States to earn a medical doctorate, Elizabeth Blackwell's story is one of great importance. Elizabeth Blackwell lived in a period in which there were numerous extremely significant social and medical contributions to the history of our civilization. Social events that occurred during this time were the freeing of slaves after the War between the States, the expansion of the United States throughout the West, and a revolution due to the invention of the steamboat, the telephone, the light bulb, and of the car. Many influential medical events also occurred during this period. Anesthesia and smallpox vaccination were discovered during this historical period, and the work of many well-known contributors to scientific medicine also took place during this historical period. Elizabeth Blackwell knew many of these people who contributed immensely to our nation's history. Blackwell was born on February 3, 1821 in Bristol, England. He came from a large family with nine other brothers and sisters. From an early age she was always willing to test her limits and was very determined to succeed in everything she did. During his childhood, his family decided to move to America after their sugar refinery burned down. When the Blackwell family came to America, they lived first in New York and then moved to New Jersey. The high cost of housing in this area had forced them to move frequently in hopes of finding a cheaper, better home for their family. By 1838 they had moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, due to further financial problems caused by the banking panic that had occurred a year earlier. Shortly after their move to Ohio, Elizabeth's father died leaving... half of the document... ist. She believed that women should maintain their traditional role but should be able to pursue any opportunity they desire. Blackwell contributed significantly to the history of medicine. She spent the rest of her life educating women about medicine and also helped develop new medical schools for women. She helped open the first medical school for women in England and also spent her time giving motivational speeches. Dr. Blackwell also published many famous articles. The Religion of Health, The Human Element in Sex, The Moral Education of the Youth and Pioneering Work are some of his most popular writings. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell was honored for all of her contributions and hard work throughout her life. Miss Elizabeth Blackwell and the Women of Medicine was a published article written by E. M. Mesnard to honor all of her contributions.