Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Rebecca Lee Crumpler (February 8, 1831 – March 9, 1895) was an American physician and author. She was the first African American woman to become a physician in the United States. Crumpler graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1864, amidst the American Civil War. She practiced medicine in Boston, Massachusetts and Richmond, Virginia, focusing on issues related to women's health, children's health, and nutrition.

Early life and education

Crumpler was born in Delaware on February 8, 1831. She was raised in Pennsylvania by an aunt who provided care for sick neighbors. Inspired by her aunt, Crumpler pursued a career in nursing in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1852. After eight years of nursing, she was accepted into the New England Female Medical College in 1860. She graduated in 1864, becoming the first African American woman to earn a medical degree.

Career

After graduation, Crumpler moved to Richmond, Virginia, where she worked for the Freedmen's Bureau to provide medical care to freed slaves. She was one of the first African American physicians to work for the bureau. In 1869, she returned to Boston, where she treated women and children in her home.

In 1883, Crumpler published a book titled A Book of Medical Discourses. It is one of the first medical publications by an African American.

Legacy

Crumpler's work has had a lasting impact on the medical field. She broke barriers for African American women in medicine, and her book continues to be a valuable resource for medical practitioners and historians.

See also

• List of African-American firsts
• Women in medicine

External links

• Biography at the National Library of Medicine

Rebecca Lee Crumpler

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  A Book of Medical Discourses
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  New England Female Medical College
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  Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead
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  Arthur Crumpler, ex-slave, husband of Rebecca Crumpler