Dorothea Dix Reforms

background Dorothea Dix was a very important, impactful, and influential person involved in the civil war. Dorothea Dix was a nurse, the Superintendent Nurse for the Union Army. She was born on April 4, 1802 and passed away on July 17, 1887, making her 85 years, 3 months, and 13 days old. Not much is known about her background, but what researchers believe is that both of her parents at the time were alcoholics and they were very addicted. Along with that, researchers believe that her dad was abusive towards her.

Dix’s life changed in 1841, when she began teaching Sunday school at the East Cambridge Jail, a women’s prison. She discovered the alarming treatment of the prisoners, specifically those with mental illnesses, whose place of residence had no heat. She immediately went to court and ensured an order to provide heat for the prisoners, along with other advancements. She began traveling around the state to research the conditions in prisons, and ultimately arranged a document that was presented to the Massachusetts Legislature, which enlarged the budget to expand the Mental Hospital at Worcester. Dix was not content with reforms in Massachusetts. She toured the country documenting the conditions and treatment of patients, campaigning to authorize

To begin with by examining Diox firmness, mentality , and heroic personality it was clear that Dorothea Dix was able to stop injustice going on in the East Cambridge prison. It all began that same year Diox and some friends travel to england, returning home different not the same girl she was when she left home. She had different interests, new approaches to the treatment of insane. Diox took a job teaching inmates in an East Cambridge prison, where the conditions were so abysmal and the treatment for prisoners so inhumane, that she began agitating at once their improvement. Prisoners at that time were unregulated and unhygienic, with violent criminals housed side by side with mental illness. Diox later on she began to visit every public and

During the nineteenth century, Women began to have an important role in natural rights and female education. Dorothea Dix and Mary Lyons spent their life fighting to help better society. Dorothea Dix was tireless in exposing mistreatment of those who were diagnosed with mental illness or who were institutionalized in the 19th century. She helped effect change for thousands of people. Mary Lyon was a female educator. She founded Mount Holyoke College, the first women’s college.

What did Dorothea Dix believe about human nature? She spoke against the inhumane treatment of insane prisoners. She believed they were treated worse than regular people.

She supported children being separated from adults in correctional institutes. Dix also improved the treatment of the mentally ill. Her work vastly improved conditions in hospitals, prisons, and asylums of the

In this article, the incarceration of the mentally ill is encouraged because it is safer than keeping them in mental institutions. It claims that mental institutions are extremely dangerous by their very nature and the nurses there are trained to treat the mentally ill, not to keep them from hurting themselves or other people. In prisons however, the

She recorded every gory detail she came across in all the institutions she visited, and some she had visited more than once (Wilson 120). Her long journey, which had started in 1841, now came to a close, at least in Massachusetts (Wilson 108). Next, she began to use the information she compiled. Dix knew that sweeping reform was impossible without the involvement of the government. Subsequently, Dix assembled her information into a memorial that she would present to the Massachusetts Legislature (“Dorothea Dix.”).

Dorothea Lynde Dix was salient to the development of both the Reform and Civil War Eras that she lived during, and to the overall United States. Moreover, Dorothea Dix had minor, but crucial, contributions to the education of children during her early years, which would help her effort in creating different perspective and establishing institutions for the mentally ill. Her onerous efforts even required her to plead to the State Legislative body, which was essential in achieving her goals for the mentally ill. In addition, Dix contributed to the Civil War when she was appointed superintendent of nurses for the Union army. Dix’s action would leave a permanent mark to the character of the United States when she helped form institutions for the mentally ill and wrote the “Bill of the Benefit of the Indigent Insane.”

The treatment of the insane inmates inspired her to start a reform movement, calling for the improved treatment of the mentally insane along with establishment of mental hospitals. Two years passed between the time she visited the East Cambridge Jail and her first appeal on behalf of the indignant insane. During these two years Dorothea did something that many women at the time would not have done, she went inside a multitude of jails to gather the proper resources for her argument. After carefully documenting her findings she report on the inhuman treatment regarding the insane in The Memorial to the Massachusetts Legislator. Dorothea’s documentation of the insane is similar to that of an academic research paper with an argument, support,

Although Dix did not see the results she wanted, at least for the time being, she had accomplished a great deal of reform. After a 10,000 mile expedition, Dorothea Dix had visited 18 state penitentiaries, 300 county jails, and 500 poorhouses, all by the end of 1845 (Wood). Along with rallying in state legislatures for reform, Dix helped improve and build 30 psychiatric facilities (Parry). Dix’s endeavors brought attention to the very urgent social issue of the mentally ill. She raised awareness and inspired many to crusade for the same cause. Her work started the movement to improve treatment of the mentally ill and her influence encouraged the continuation.

Born in 1802, Dorothea Dix played an important role in changing the ways people thought about patients who were mentally-ill and handicapped. These patients had always been cast-off as “being punished by God”. She believed that that people of such standing would do better by being treated with love and caring rather than being put aside. As a social reformer, philanthropist, teacher, writer, writer, nurse, and humanitarian, Dorothea Dix devoted devoted her life to the welfare of the mentally-ill and handicapped. She accomplished many milestones throughout her life and forever changed the way patients are cared for. She was a pioneer in her time, taking on challenges that no other women would dare dream of tackling.

Given the number of incarcerated inmates who suffer from some form of mental illness, there are growing concerns and questions in the medical field about treatment of the mentally ill in the prison system. When a person with a mental illness commits a crime or break the law, they are immediately taken to jail or sent off to prison instead of being evaluated and placed in a hospital or other mental health facility. “I have always wondered if the number of mentally ill inmates increased since deinstitutionalization” Since prison main focus is on the crimes inmates are incarcerated; the actual treatment needed for the mentally ill is secondary. Mentally ill prisoners on the surface may appear to be just difficult inmates depending on the

Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, Alabama on January 7, 1891. Her father, John Hurston, was a minister and he had several years as a mayor for that town. Her mother, Lucy Hurston, seemed to only have her family as any worries. Her childhood seemed to be perfect, it was free from racism and poverty (Zora 1). Although, everything changed when her mother passed away and his father remarried and soon was sent to boarding school. She was then expelled a while after her father stopped paying for tuition so she worked in a theatrical company as a maid (Zora 1). Quitting that job, at

In the 1840s, Dorothea Dix introduced the concept of humane treatment for individuals with mental illness. She advocated for better treatment and