Dorothea Dix by Kate

About Dorothea Dix

kacarota — 2025-01-27 17:18:13 UTC

Dorothea was born April 4, 1802, in Hampden, Maine. Dix passed away on July 17, 1887, meaning she died at the age of 85 years old! In the article that I have found about Dorothea Dix it says she "was an American educator, social reformer, and humanitarian whose devotion to welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread reform in the United States and abroad." (pgh. 1.)

Why is Dorothea Important?

kacarota — 2025-01-27 17:45:13 UTC

Why Dorothea is important is because she valued the how those who were exceptional in her time were being treated. Dix then began a Sunday school in a prison and saw how the exceptional prisoners were being treated. It is explained in this article that exceptional prisoners "were left unclothed, in darkness, without heat or sanitary facilities; some were chained to the walls and flogged." ("definition of flog: beat with a whip or stick as punishment or torture." definition from google.) Due to her seeing this it caught her interest of seeing how other prisons treated other exceptional prisoners, her observations lasted 2 years!

Dorothea Ambition

kacarota — 2025-01-27 18:04:12 UTC

Due to Dorothea then having a passion to figure out how the exceptional prisoners were treated; it brought her to write and submit a report about it and send it to the Massachusetts legislature. Sending in that report helped "pass a bill for the enlargement of the Worcester Insane Asylum." She also inspired more hospitals to be made and "directly affected the building of 32 institutions in the United States." She also helped reorganize hospitals because there were no available institutions due to them not being required in those areas.

The Incredible Dorothea Dix

kacarota — 2025-01-27 18:15:08 UTC

Something so cool about Dorothea was she published "Remarks on Prisons and Prison Discipline in the United States," so that this problem could be addressed everywhere rather than only the places she personally affected. Some random facts about Dorothea is she was "appointed superintendent of army nurses for Civil War services." After this she wanted to go back to working in hospitals until she sadly passed away in a hospital that was founded by her!

Dorotheas Connections

kacarota — 2025-01-27 18:31:53 UTC

Dorotheas connections to special education is all throughout her work, whether that be her report she made to go to the Massachusetts legislature or the work she did by making a book to be published so that her interest in making sure exceptional prisoners get the help they deserve. She has done so much to help those who are exceptional become seen. Dorothea meant a lot on her day to those with exceptional attributes because not a lot of people cared for the exceptional in the 1800s. Those exceptional prisoners may not have known they had someone looking out for them, but Dorothea knew what she had to do in her heart.

The future because of Dorothea Dix

kacarota — 2025-01-28 15:59:26 UTC

Dorothea had the passion and guts to make sure those who were being mistreated felt heard when they could not speak, how that will help me in the future is by trying to be the voice my kids will need when they feel unheard or unable to speak. I respect Dorothea with how she saw the problem and made sure it was solved, but not before she told the story, to be the voice of those who are not heard or are just ignored is inspirational and I will definitely use it in my teachings.