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Dorothea Lynde Dix III

Dorothea Lynde Dix III. “ voice for the mad”. Early Life . Born : April 4, 1802 Oldest of 3 children Mother – “listless and self absorbed” Father – book dealer, active Methodist. Childhood Problems/ Accomplishments. Constantly moved Felt neglected and abused

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Dorothea Lynde Dix III

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  1. Dorothea Lynde Dix III “ voice for the mad”

  2. Early Life • Born : April 4, 1802 • Oldest of 3 children • Mother – “listless and self absorbed” • Father – book dealer, active Methodist

  3. Childhood Problems/ Accomplishments • Constantly moved • Felt neglected and abused • Ran away at age 12, to live with grandmother • “unusually mature” and “intellectually gifted” • Believed strongly in community service

  4. Cont. • At age 14 – opened a private school • Ran free evening school for poor (one of 1st in nation) • Wrote the book : “Conversations on Common things”

  5. Later Career • Practiced “Goodness of God” and “Purity of Heart” • Took over for a minister teaching a Sunday class in a women’s jail

  6. Jail • Shocked to see conditions of jail: • Unheated • All types put together : hardened criminals (including murderers), children, and mentally ill

  7. Prison cell:

  8. Taking Action • Dorothea acquired a court order to provide heat and other improvements for prisoners • Started questioning the conditions in other jails

  9. Cont. • Began an investigation on how the mentally ill were treated • Urged bills and legislatures for building an asylum for them • Hospital opened in her honor, specially for mentally ill patients

  10. Approval • After accomplishing her goal, a letter arrived from Washington, praising her deeds • Books have been written on her

  11. Letter to Dix

  12. Dorothea’s Other Work • Participated in Civil War: • led effort to organize nursery corps for soldiers • Recruited women as nurses of Army Med. Bureau • Superintendant of nurses • Never missed a day of work

  13. Cont. • “Dragon Dix” – clashed with military officials • Only allowed middle aged women into the program • Donated a fountain to Boston for “Thirsty Horses”

  14. “The Reformer” • Written by John Greenleaf Whittier • One of many Songs in his book “Songs of Labor and Reform” • Talks about hope in reform

  15. Excerpts: “I looked:  aside the dust-cloud rolled,The Waster seemed the Builder too;Upspringing from the ruined OldI saw the New. ’T was but the ruin of the bad,—­The wasting of the wrong and ill;Whate’er of good the old time hadWas living still.” “Through prison walls, like Heaven-sent hope,Fresh breezes blew, and sunbeams strayed,And with the idle gallows-ropeThe young child played. Where the doomed victim in his cellHad counted o’er the weary hours,Glad school-girls, answering to the bell,Came crowned with flowers.”

  16. Bibliography: • https://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/dorotheadix.html • http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/9579/17.html • Google images • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Dix

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