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The insane are treated inhumanely
In the 1600's, the insane were treated inhumanely by being chained to walls and kept in dungeons. Also, they were usually housed with vagrants, delinquents, and handicapped people. This affected Dorothea because if the mentally ill had been treated fairly, she wouldn't have had to fight for better rights for them. Therefore, even though this was unjust, it helped Dorothea two centuries later. -
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Occasional reforms for the mentally ill are instituted
In the late 1700’s, Phillippe Pinel, a French physician, took over the Bicêtre insane asylum. Doing so, he helped get better conditions for the mentally ill. These included the forbidding of the use of chains and shackles; he removed the patients from dungeons, provided them with sunny rooms instead of dark rooms, and allowed them to exercise on the grounds. However, many places still mistreated the insane despite these changes. -
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Dorothea's accomplishments throughout her career
Throughout Dorothea's career, she accomplished many things. These accomplishments included helping to found 32 mental hospitals, 15 schools for the feeble minded, a school for the blind, and several training facilities for nurses. Also, Dorothea helped establish libraries in prisons, mental hospitals, and other institutions. All of these efforts indirectly inspired the building of several additional institutions for the mentally ill. -
Dorothea is born
Dorothea was the first of three born in her family in Hampden, Maine. Her parents were Joseph and Mary Bigleow Dix. Dorthea had an abusive, alcoholic father and a bipolar mother. This caused her to have to take care of her younger brothers. Dorothea was often quoted as saying, "I never knew childhood." Her two younger brothers, Joseph and Charles, were born when they arrived in Worcester. -
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War of 1812
Dorothea and her family had taken shelter in Vermont right before the war. They had to move because the British invaded their hometown of Hampen, Maine. -
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Dorothea taught her first class
Dorothea was only fifteen when she held her first class, which was held at a store on Main Street in the fall of 1816. The students she taught were between the ages of six and eight. Facing about twenty of them, she ran this school for about three years. This was all thanks to Edward Bangs who had helped her locate a store to hold classes. Edward helped Dorothea due to his love for her. -
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Edward proposes
Sometime in these two years, Edward proposed to Dorothea. Though Dorothea accepted the ring, she was reluctant to get married. She was afraid of her marriage ending up like her parents marriage - full of heavy drinking, desertion of children, emotional outbreaks, and fighting. When her father died, Dorothea returned the ring to Edward because she realized marriage was not for her. -
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Dorothea's father dies
In the spring of 1821, Dorothea's father died in New Hampshire. At this time, Dorothea was engaged to Edward. However, realizing that marriage wasn't for her, Dorothea returned the ring. Thus, devoting the rest of her life to teaching children and expanding her horizons. Dorothea never married in the future becuase of her devotion to teaching. -
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Dorothea accomplishes much and goes through several things
Throughout these years, Dorothea was able to teach her classes and begin writing children's books. However, she also suffered an illness during this time. When she became ill, her friend, Dr. Channing, asked if she would go with his family to St. Croix and tutor his daughters. Dorothea accepted and returned to Boston fully recuperated in 1831. -
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Interest in the treatment of the mentally ill is shown
In North Carolina, governors sent many suggestions to the General Assembly as a priority that the mentally ill should be treated better. Despite their efforts, no bill was passed. This affected Dorothea indirectly because it probably inspired her to actually achieve what the governors were trying to achieve. -
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Dorothea becomes very weak and ill
While ill, Dorothea continued to write children's books and teach her classes. Her friend, Dr. Channing, asked Dorothea to go to England with his family to tutor his daughters and have a chance to recuperate. Dorothea accepted the offer and returned to Boston in better health in 1831. -
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Dorothea returns to Boston to help her sick grandmother
Sometime during 1836, Dorothea went to Boston to help her sick grandmother. Though Dorothea had recuperated from her previous illness, she became very drained and broke down completely, suffering severe hemorrhages. She was suffering from what is now called tuberculosis, which did not have a cure at the time. Dorothea then took her doctor's advice to quit teaching and visit England on vacation. While in England, both her grandmother and her mother died within two days of each other. -
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More interest in the treatment of the mentally ill is expressed
Again, North Carolina governors tried to gain better conditions for the mentally ill. Despite their efforts, none of the bills were passed. Dorothea was probably inspired to achieve what these governors had failed at achieving. -
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Dorothea returns to Boston
After recovering from tuberculosis in England, Dorothea returns to Boston in better health. Before she returned, both her mother and grandmother died within two days of each other. -
Second Career begins
Dorothea visited the East Cambridge Jail and did not like the conditions she saw. When she asked the guard why the conditions were so terrible, they replied, "the insane do not feel heat or cold". This angered Dorothea and inspired her to work for better rights of the mentally ill. -
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Dorothea continues to investigate jails over 10,000 miles of land
While traveling these areas, Dorothea would visit the jail and inspect it, gather information on the conditions, then publicize what she found so people knew what the mentally ill had to indure. She would find the conditions appalling - seeing men and women chained to walls and floors in dark, filthy rooms, and the overpowering smell of urine. -
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Dorothea goes after her dream
Dorothea sent the United States Congress a document that asked if they would set aside five million acres for the mentally ill. This bill was not approved until 1854 by both houses, but vetoed by President Franklin Peirce. After trying to achieve her dream, Dorothea became physically worn out. She then decided to go to Europe, in order to rest from her thirteen years of work for the mentally ill. -
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Dorothea returns to the US
When Dorothea returned to the US, she inspected jails in states that she had missed before. However, when the Civil War broke out, she decided to be the Superintendent of Union Army Nurses. Dorothea served throughout the Civil War, even though she realized she was not very helpful; Dorothea still felt that she needed to help. -
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Dorothea makes a change in the way Europeans dealt with the mentally ill
Dorothea had hoped to take a break from the thirteen years she had put towards helping the mentally insane when she traveled to Europe. However, she inpspected jails and almshouses in many countries including England, France, Italy, Turkey, and many more, instead of resting. Dorothea would visit the jails, gather information, and then publicize the conditions so people knew what was going on. All of this was done in only two years! -
Dorothea is selected to be the Superintendent of female nurses during the Civil War.
When the Civil War started, Dorothea was given the job opportunity to be the Superintendent of female nurses. With this job came many responsibilities. These include overseeing training, recruitment, and placement of 2,000 women who cared for the Civil War soldiers that got hurt. After the war, Dorothea went back to her previous job of helping the insane but was still bothered by her previous illness. Despite the illness, Dorothea stayed faithful to her cause. -
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Civil War
The Civil War provided Dorothea with the job of being Superintendent of Nurses.Though she didn't actually fight in the civil war, she witnessed several injuries caused by the battle and helped to cure them and fix them. Therefore, the war was beneficial in helping Dorothea further her career. -
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State hospital in Trenton, New Jersey opened
Sometime during the year, the New Jersey hospital was opened. This hospital was the first of many to be built, initiated, and opened due to her efforts. Dorothea admitted herself into the hospital due to her decline in health and remained there for six years. -
Dorothea Perishes
Dorothea checked herself into the hospital that she had helped establish in Trenton, New Jersey because she became ill. She finally perished on July 17, 1887 but left behind her amazing legacy.
