Primary Source Spotlight: Dorothea Dix
Dorothea L. Dix (1802-1887) was an actively engaged citizen who tirelessly advocated for help for the less fortunate, particularly the mentally ill. Use the resources below to learn more.
Dorothea Lynde Dix to Abraham Lincoln, Monday, June 17, 1861 (transcription)
To the Legislature of Massachusetts [protesting against the confinement of insane persons and idiots in almshouses and prisons] Dorothea Dix 1843
Memorial soliciting a state hospital for the insane Dorothea Dix 1845
Daughters of the Puritans; a group of brief biographies (including Dorothea Dix) 1905
Dorothea Dix brief biography U.S. National Library of Medicine
Dorothea Dix: Mental Health Reformer and Civil War Nurse Smithsonian Institution Archives
“Miss Dorothea L. Dix” The Tri-Weekly Standard. (Raleigh, N.C.), 06 April 1867
More Dorothea Dix historical newspaper coverage
A Walking Tour of St. Elizabeths Hospital In Custodia Legis blog June 27, 2014