By: Sarah Syed & Jasmine Jacob

History• Dix was a teacher, humanitarian reformer, and

superintendent of women nurses during the civil war. Dix was born on April 4, 1802 in Hampden, Maine but grew up in Massachusetts. She visited a Massachusetts house of correction in 1841. She opened up a private school for children in Worcester, Massachusetts and in Boston later. She wrote a book in 1824 called "Conversations on Common Things" It was about geography, history, word orgins and natural science. She became a reformer in 1841, when she found the mentally ill housed with hardened criminal. She was instrumental in founding 32 hospitals in US and foreign countries when she was 58. She was volunteering during the civil war and was named superintendent. She died on July 18, 1887 when she was 85 years old.

Dorothea Dix Hospital : Raleigh, North Carolina

Theory•  Dix didn't believe that mentally

ill people should be punished by being put into jail.

• The government should aid society’s most helpless people and they should be treated with dignity.

• Women should have the ability to learn and have careers.

Was the theory accepted or rejected?

• During her time, these theories were very radical thoughts in society.

• Over time, however, her beliefs began to catch on and eventually better treatment for the mentally ill and of women in general, came around and are still practiced tod

Our opinion

• We believe that Dorethea Dix's actions were justified because mentally people have no control over their psychological welfare. She cared about the mentally-ill. No one at her time paid attention to those who needed it. She showed her love and care for them by building them a hospital, improving prison conditions, and traveled around the world to change everyones condition

"If I am cold, they are cold; if I am weary, they are distressed; if I am alone, they are abandoned."

- Dorothea Dix