Dorothea Lynde Dix was an activist in a variety of social reform movements. Her exposure to the dreadful conditions in U.S. prisons and consequent prison reform efforts led her to seek reforms for the mentally ill, particularly with regard to their treatment in asylums. She trained nurses during the American Civil War (1861–1865) but returned to asylum reform after the war.
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Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection Volume One: Precolonial North America To The Early Republic – Dr. Peg A. Lamphier And Dr. Rosanne Welch, Editors
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