Dorothea dix biography essay outline

American social reformer (–)

This article is about the 19th-century activist.

Dorothea Dix - Prison Reform, Accomplishments

For the journalist, see Dorothy Dix.

Dorothea Lynde Dix (April 4, &#;&#; July 17, ) was an American advocate on behalf of the indigentmentally 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.^[1] Her mother suffered from poor health, thus she wasn't able to provide consistent support to her children.^[2] Her father was an itinerant bookseller and Methodist preacher.^[3][a] At the age of twelve, she and her two b