Who Was This American Civil War Woman? Quiz

Answer: Dorothea Dix

Dorothea Dix was born in Hamden, Massachusetts in 1802. Around the age of 20, she started the first private school for girls. After being witness to the health of mentally ill patients in prisons, Dorothea began a campaign for the mental health system.

After collecting information for eighteen months, Dorothea sent a report to the state legislature on behalf of mental patients in prison. With the help of male doctors, Dorothea got the legislation passed to require the humane treatment of mentally ill patients. Before Dorothea's legislation was passed, mental health hospitals went from 11 to 123.

After establishing the hospitals, Dorothea went on to acquire nurses to help in the war. Dorothea died at the age of 85 in a hospital wing of the very first mental hospital she had established.

Answer: Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 to Bronson and Abba Alcott. She had three younger sisters. When Louisa began writing romance stories, she wrote under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard. Her publisher gave her the idea to write a children's story. Louisa wrote of four sisters growing up during the war. Each sister in the book was reminiscent of Louisa and her sisters. "Little Women" became Louisa May Alcott's best remembered book. Louisa never married and lived with her parents until her death in 1888.

She died two days after her father.

Answer: Harriet Tubman

Araminta Ross was born to Harriet and Benjamin Ross sometime in 1820. She was one of several children, but her exact birth date is unknown because birth records weren't kept for slaves. When Harriet was twelve, she was viciously beaten by her slave owner after trying to protect a fellow slave.

The attack left her with a large dent in her forehead and a lifetime of excruciating headaches. Harriet married free slave, John Tubman, when she was twenty-four. However, she was still considered a slave. When her husband wouldn't help her obtain her freedom, Harriet ran away and joined the Underground Railroad.

She died peacefully in 1913. Harriet Tubman day is celebrated on March 10th in New York City.

Answer: Varina Davis

Varina Howell was born to Margaret and Richard Howell in 1826. Her mother was a Southern belle and her father was a Yankee. Varina married Jefferson Davis in 1845 and they had six children; four of them died. When Jefferson was imprisoned, Varina worked tirelessly for his release. That day came two years later. Until Jefferson's death, Varina lived at a Southern estate known as Beauvoir.

After his death, she moved to New York City and took up writing about her famous husband. She died in 1906.

Answer: Sojourner Truth

Isabella Baumfree was born as one of twelve children to James and Elizabeth Baum in 1797. While her family was freed, Isabella was sold at auction to John Dumont. He married her to another slave named Thomas when she turned eighteen. They had four children together.

After the birth of her last child, Isabella ran away to freedom. She was taken in by a Christian man who paid her to clean house for him. Years later, Isabella chose a new name for herself: Sojourner Truth. She continued to clean houses for people while speaking out about slavery. Sojourner Truth died in 1883.

Answer: Mary Lincoln

Mary Todd was born in Kentucky in 1818. She and her family lived in a fourteen room house. When Mary wed Abe Lincoln, they lived in a one room boarding house. She and Abe had four boys. When they moved into the White House, Mary would fix care packages for wounded soldiers in the hospitals.

After the death of her third son, Mary began having séances in the White House hoping to speak with her dead son. Slowly, this helped her come out of her depression and she and Abe began spending more time together. Mary was sitting next to Abe in the Ford Theater when he was shot.

His death caused her much pain and she was too sick to attend the funeral. After Abe's death, Mary received a pension from Congress. This was the first time a presidential wife was paid. Mary died in 1882 while living with her sister in Illinois.

Answer: Clara Barton

Clara Barton was born to Stephen and Sara Barton on Christmas Day in 1821. She had five siblings. When a phrenologist told her to become a teacher, she got a teaching job and later became a principal. After she was forced out of a male dominated position, Clara began tending the wounded soldiers on and off the battlefield.

Her nickname with the soldiers became "angel of the battlefield". Clara died at the age of 91 in Echo, Maryland.

Answer: Belle Boyd

Maria Isabelle Boyd was born, the eldest of three children, to Ben Boyd and his wife. After her rebellious ways caused family embarrassments, Belle was sent to Mount Washington Female College where she learned to become a refined lady. Her age, beauty, and gender made her a perfect spy for the Confederacy.

She was a wonderful spy and became known as the "Cleopatra of the Confederacy". When Belle contracted typhoid, she stepped back from the spy game to recuperate. To make money, Belle took up stage acting.

She died of a heart attack in 1900. On her tombstone, the phrase "Belle Boyd: Confederate spy" was etched.

Answer: Amelia Bloomer

Amelia Jenk was born in 1818 to Aanias and Lucy Jenk. The family was strong in their Christian beliefs. Amelia attended only two years of college before she married Quaker editor, Dexter Bloom. In her vows, Amelia skipped the word "obey". Her magazine, "The Lily" became the first U.S. magazine published by a woman.

When Amelia's cousin, Elizabeth, came to visit, Amelia saw a woman in pants for the first time. Amelia began wearing them and talking about them in her magazine. Because of Amelia, women began sporting "bloomers".

She died in 1894.

Answer: Susan Anthony

Susan Anthony was born to Daniel and Lucy Anthony in 1820. When she began teaching, her students (especially female student) were taught math because she had been taught that women didn't need math skills. In her early thirties, Susan lobbied for married women in New York to have the right to own property, be the guardian of their children, and file lawsuits.

The act was passed in New York and ten years later added fourteen more states to the law. Susan went on to fight for the right to vote. She was arrested for voting on November 5, 1872 and the judge in her trial ordered the jury to find her guilty.

It backfired and Susan was released. With the help of her friend Elizabeth Stanton, Susan organized the International Council of Women. She died in 1906, fourteen years before the first woman voted.