A Woman of Medicine Mary Edwards Walker
“Women and birds are able to see without turning their heads, and that is indeed a necessary provision for they are both surrounded by enemies.”
-James Stephens, ThinkExist.com Quotations
“Born in 1832, to a family involved in abolition and other reform movements, Mary Edwards Walker was an early enthusiast for women's rights” (Curtis). Walker dedicated her time to dress reform and surgeon work, especially during the time of the civil war. However, the nineteenth century was a time of prejudice and inequality. Walker faced many complications because of her gender, specifically during her work in the medical field as she fought for more equality towards women. Despite Mary Edwards Walker’s medical efforts in the nineteenth century, her work did not advance equality for women, exposing how the high prejudice towards a women’s capabilities ultimately prevails.
As Walker entered the medical field, she immediately faced hardships from her gender at school and in her early work. Walker’s father was a “strong believer in education;” he was a man who pushed her to pursue her dreams (Curtis). One of those dreams was to pursue medicine. Walker attended Syracuse Medical School, “the first American medical school to admit women where she was the only women in her class… she graduated with an M.D,” (Oakes). Walker’s education was an accomplishment for women, setting an example for the future that women could attend college for medicine. She contributed to the increasing chances of women entering the medical field. In addition, Walker’s degree allowed her to continue her practices outside of college. Walker’s degree came to use when she was courted by Albert Miller (Shilcutt). Together, they established a medical practice in New York (Curtis). However, “few were ready to be seen by a women doctor and the practice struggled,” (Curtis). Despite Walker’s efforts to earn a degree and influence women to enter the medical field, the degrees the women earned would be pointless if society didn’t want to be helped by women. Her step towards equality in the medical field was ultimately thwarted by her gender.
Walker’s contributions in the army ultimately established her role in medicine while simultaneously degrading her accomplishments. The Civil War was not only a time of death and destruction, but also during Walker’s life. The civil war increased the need of nurses and physicians, leading to the Confederacy to pass a law “requiring that Confederate soldiers be treated only in hospitals directed by commissioned military officers of at least the rank of captain,” (Behling). This required Walker to hold a higher position in order to work in the most available field at the time of the war. So, she headed to the North. However, the difficulties faced in the Union were the same. In an attempt to join the army, “Walker was turned down by the Union Army when she tried to enlist as a physician at the start of the Civil War,” (“The Hello Girls”). Just like in her medical school years, people were not ready to be seen by a female doctor. The army displayed the common prejudice against the abilities of women. However, things seemed to look up for Walker in the fall of 1864, where the Union “contracted her as an acting assistant surgeon, the first time the army appointed a woman as an assistant surgeon,” (Oakes). Walker once again broke barriers as she created another milestone in medicine: the first woman to be appointed by the army as an assistant surgeon. Unfortunately, that would be the only milestone for a year. Walker’s achievements did not advance in the field, “After the war, Walker continued to petition, now for the rank of major in the army. The secretary of war refused on the grounds that she had not risen up the ranks… [he] wouldn't recognize because of her gender, since women couldn't move up ranks,” (Oakes). Despite Walker’s success within the army, she was unable to progress outside of her medical field. Her capabilities were downcast upon and as a result, her war efforts belittled.
Andrew Jackson’s presidency gave light to Mary Edwards Walker’s war efforts, bringing her accomplishments back into public eye. In 1865, “President Andrew Johnson signed a bill to present Dr. Mary Edwards Walker with the Congressional Medal of Honor for Meritorious Service, in order to recognize her contributions to the war effort without having to award her army commission. She was the only woman to have this honor,” (Curtis). Walker achieved another accomplishment for women, recieving a medal of honor that only men had won up until her. She set the idea that a women was just as capable as winning as a man, no matter the profession. Things took a turn for the worse a few decades later when Congress turned their back on Walker. In 1917, “Congress amended the guidelines governing the Medal of Honor to include only combatants as candidates, and thus the army revoked Walker's medal,” (Oakes). Walker’s milestone for women was once again pushed back to be seen as a mistake, as Congress revoked Walker’s medal instead of focusing the new rules on new candidates. The prejudice towards woman can be shown in how Congress still revoked a medal, given to only one woman, 52 years ago. They undermined her capabilities and believed her to be unfit for the medal, resulting in an agreement to amend the guidelines to suit who they deemed was fit for the medal, which were combatants who were mostly all male. While Walker achieved a big accomplishment for women, her efforts were shadowed by the lawful removal of her medal and thus renouncing her efforts in history.
Mary Edwards Walker no doubt contributed to the work of women in the medical field. She was able to create and spread the idea that women were able to create changes not only in the medical field, but beyond that. Unfortunately, her efforts were squandered by the dominating male society in the nineteenth century, who did not believe in the abilities of women to accomplish more than men. When Walker created a new step for women in the medical field, society found a way to push herself back. So while Walker managed to attain many triumphs, she was constantly taking a step forward and back to where her efforts did not progress anything for the equality of women. Despite Mary Edwards Walker’s medical efforts in the nineteenth century, her work did not advance equality for women, exposing how the high prejudice towards a women’s capabilities ultimately prevails.
Works Cited
Behling, Ruth A., and Richard J. Roder. "Medicine in the Civil War Era." Infobase. Behling, Ruth A., and Richard J. Roder. “Medicine in the Civil War Era.” Civil War and Reconstruction, Third Edition, Facts On File, 2017. History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=150531&itemid=WEHRC&articleId=201605. Accessed 17 Oct. 2018.1
Curtis, Claire. "Walker, Mary Edwards." Infobase, 2014, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=150531&itemid=WEHRC&articleId=165309. Accessed 15 Oct. 2018. Curtis, Claire. “Walker, Mary Edwards.” Encyclopedia of Women and American Politics, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2014. History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=150531&itemid=WEHRC&articleId=165309. Accessed 15 Oct. 2018.
Oakes, Elizabeth H. "Walker, Mary Edwards." Infobase. Oakes, Elizabeth H. “Walker, Mary Edwards.” Encyclopedia of World Scientists, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2007. History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=150531&itemid=WEHRC&articleId=297697. Accessed 18 Oct. 2018.1
Shilcutt, Tracy M. “Walker, Mary Edwards.” Encyclopedia of American Military History, Vol. 3, Facts On File, 2003. History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=150531&itemid=WEHRC&articleId=203541. Accessed 30 Oct. 2018.
"The Hello Girls." ProQuest. "The Hello Girls."American History, vol. 43, no. 5, 12 2008, pp. 21. elibrary, https://explore.proquest.com/document/224065464?accountid=2163.1
ThinkExist.com Quotations. “James Stephens quotes”. ThinkExist.com Quotations Online 1 Sep. 2018. 29 Oct. 2018 <http://thinkexist.com/quotes/james_stephens/>