Author’s note: I wrote about Dorothea Dix because she inspired me. She inspired me because after reading and doing research about her, I decided that I wanted to be the first at something, just like her. I’m still not sure at what I want to be the first at, but I will find out someday. Now I have a goal, I have something to look forward to do. I was inspired by Dorothea Dix and that is why I wrote about her.

Dorothea Dix lived a life no normal child would want to live. She was born in a tiny village of Hamden, which back then was distract Maine. “A city girl,” is the last thing Dorothea should be called. She lived deep in the woods, owned by her rich grandfather, who lived in Boston. Dorothea’s grandfathers name was Dr. Elijah Dix. Dorothea’s mother was slightly retarded and her farther was preaching to everyone that the world was going to end, and everyone would all soon die. Like I said, things weren’t the easiest for Dorothea. After, things got just so rattled up in Dorothea’s life, that she just couldn’t handle it anymore, she just had to get out.

So Dorothea being brave, wasn’t hesitant at all to just up and leave. She ran away from her home when she was at the age of ten. She ran away to Boston where her grandfather lived. Later, she had the thought that life would be easier for her, living with someone who was wealthy and had a well living. Dorothea soon found out, that life wasn’t easier living with someone wealthier. Work still needed to be done, but in a different way then it did at her “home.” She soon realized that things weren’t just going to come to her in her life, she had to go get those things that she wanted, and fight for them. Dorothea Dix didn’t spend anymore time waiting, she started right off and started teaching at the age of 15.

Dorothea was having a great time teaching and loved the job, but some events took place that was life threatening for Dorothea. She was 22 when she got contracted tuberculosis. It was a very scary time for Dorothea. But she was strong and came out of the hospital just fine, almost like nothing had ever happened to her. Later in life she had a nervous collapse at the age of 34. Dorothea was up standing tall. She had her life back to normal again after the life threatening event. Everything was going well for her, she was so strong. Then she fell down just so hard. Having a nervous collapse, caused her to slow down a little, but didn’t stop her dreams, she was up and going once again. Teaching just wasn’t enough for Dorothea, she needed something different for a change. That’s when she decided make a change in her life, work in at a women’s jail, located at east Carriage Massachusetts. That brought a whole new interest to Dorothea. She was going to learn more about prisons and poor houses in Massachusetts. That’s when Dorothea went on her self-appointed tour. Well Dorothea was on her self-pointed trip, she took down notes, sayings, anything that would help her remember all of the stuff or little things that she learned, heard, saw, or what ever else. After all of the note taking, it did, finally, make it in the Memorial to the Massachusetts Legislature, occurring in the year 1843. Resulting from all the accomplished work from Dorothea Dix, funds where soon set aside for proper treatment of the mentally ill. This inspired Dorothea to go from state to state studding the everyday habits of the and life styles of the poor that the people that need as much help as they can get. 1845, the book “Remarks on Prison and Prison Discipline,” was published. By this time Dorothea had trebled 60,000 miles visiting 9,000 immolates in the 26 states. 1848 she presented her first “memorial to congress,” on America’s mentally ill.

Now her skin was wrinkling, her voice was crackling, she just couldn’t say no. Dorothea Dix was asked to be in charge of all of the United States Army hospital nurses. Finally she was asked and she also accepted it, she was around the age of 60! Dorothea Saved and helped a lot of people. She helped them from getting hurt worse then they already were.

Sad to say but she couldn’t live for ever. Fortunate to us, she was a great help to Maine, and Maine’s people. If it wasn’t for her who knows where we would be, or what we would be? She helped and saved many people before, she was a great need for Maine. On July 17, 1887, when she was about 85 years old, the women of many deeds, past away. But I do know that Dorothea Dix has put her heart and soul into peoples’ lives and saving them. Dorothea Dix is a great person, of many great deeds!