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Dorothea Dix was born
She was born in Hampden, Maine in 1802. Her father was an itinerant Methodist preacher, and her mother was frequently depressed. -
Moved to Vermont
Dorothea and her family moved to Vermont to avoid British occupation during the War of 1812. -
Opened School in Worcester, MA
At the age of 14, Dorothea opened her first school. She continued to teach for a number of years, but was very prone to ill health. -
Dix shuts down her first school
The main reason for shut down was because of Edward proposing to Dorothea Dix. She had gotten scared and went back . -
Publishing a book
he began writing textbooks, with her most famous, Conversations on Common Things, published in 1824. -
Dorothea volunteers at a jail
Dorothea was asked to volunteer and teach at the Cambridge jail. A number of the people there had committed only one "crime": they were mentally ill. She was disappointed to see that the only reason they had to stay in this place was because they were mentally ill. -
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Public Hospitals
Dix persuaded nine Southern states to set up public hospitals for the mentally ill. -
Dorothea Dix Hospital
Dorothea's hard work had inspired the building of many hospitals, including the Dorotha Dix Hospital which was built in 1856, but was later named after her. -
Civil War begins
Dix volunteered her services and was named Superintendent of United States Army Nurses. Her tasks were to organize first aid stations, recruit nurses, purchase supplies and help to set up training facilities and field hospitals. -
Death of Dorothea Dix
She died in New Jersey in 1887, in a hospital that had already been established in honor of the reforming work she had done.