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10 Incredible Facts about Rebecca lee Crumpler

Rebecca Lee Crumpler was an American physician, nurse and author born Over 150 years ago. She beat all odds by becoming the first African American doctor. She made huge impacts in both the United States and the world.

She gave back to the community by caring for African American mothers and children who lived in poverty and were denied medical services. After being named a doctor, Rebecca tried as much as possible to serve the underserved minority community in the U.S. She often cared for poor African-American women and children.

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler also holds the distinction as being one of the first African Americans to author a medical book. She published A Book on Medical Discourses back in 1883. The book addresses issues regarding mental and pediatric medical care.

1.Dr. Lee Crumpler is the first Black woman to have received the degree of medical doctor in the United States of America

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Rebecca Lee was an American Physician, nurse and author. She studied in the New England Female Medical College and became the first African American woman to become a doctor in the United States.

She became an inspiration to other African American women to venture into the medical field. Dr. Crumpler also set the record as the first female physician author in the 19^th century. Her book covers matters on the prevention and cure of infantile bowel complaints and the life and growth of human beings.

2.Dr. Lee stands in record as the first African American woman to publish a medical book

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Dr. Lee stands in record as the first African American to publish a medical book in the United States of America. She published the book, A book of Medical Discourse back in 1883. The book addresses issues regarding mental and pediatric medical care.

The other part of the book addresses matters on prevention and cure of infantile bowel complaints and the life and growth of human beings. The book set many records in the medical profession.

She overcame all odds by doing so since during her era women were viewed as being inferior to men. She was subjected to racism and sexism while she practiced in the United States.

3.Rebecca lee spent much of her childhood in the care of an aunt in Pennsylvania

Rebecca Lee was born back in 1831 by Matilda Webber and Absolum Davis. She was under the care of her aunt back in Pennsylvania during most part of her childhood. Her aunt`s profession greatly influenced her career choice.

Her aunt took up the responsibility of a doctor in her community. Her aunt was the go to person whenever one fell ill in the community. Later on she moved back to Massachusetts to work as a nurse.

It was then that she realized that the medical profession was her passion. She in applied in the New England Collage.

4.Rebecca practiced as a nurse in Boston for about 8 years

Rebecca was employed as a nurse between the year 1855 and 1864. She had a passion in matters heath and this was her opportunity to give back to the community. Later on in 1860, she was accepted and enrolled in the England Female Medical College.

Her education was funded by the Wade Scholarship Fund that had been established by John Wade Woburn. This aided in her education in the collage. During this era it was quite rare for women or African American men to train and practice medicine in the US.

Rebecca earned her spot in the medical field during the civil war as there was an extreme need for more medical experts.

5.Rebecca earned her place in medical school after the civil war die to need of extreme medical care

During the civil was in 1860, there was need to increase medical personal to treat people injured in the war. This greatly opened up opportunities for women and black men to  train and practice in the field.

Recommendations were made on her behalf to join the school  by her supervising physician. Rebecca made records after being accepted in the collage. She was the only African American Physician in her class.

During her time, women were few in the medical profession let alone African American women. Due to institutionalized racism and sexism, it was extremely rare for women and especially Black women to be admitted to schools of medicine.

In her class only 300 were women and 54,200 were men. She completed the three year course and was named a Doctor of Medicine. She set the record as the only African American woman to formally train and is named a physician in the United States of America.

6.After graduating, Crumpler worked for the Freedmen鈥檚 Bureau to provide medical care to formerly enslaved Black people

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After being named a doctor, Rebecca tried as much as possible to serve the underserved minority community in the U.S. She often cared for poor African-American women and children. 

She was passionate in serving her community and believed in the idea of providing missionary services. She tried to gain as much knowledge as possible in diseases that affect women and children.

She worked for the Freedmen`s Bureau to provide her services to freed slaves in the U.S. during her practice she was subject to intense racism. She straggled to get her prescriptions filled and was ignored by her fellow male physicians.

She was however strong and resilient against all this acts of injustices.

7.Many of Crumpler鈥檚 colleagues thought her brain was (literally) smaller than theirs

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Rebecca Crumpler received so much criticism from her make counterparts in the medical field. She was subject to intense racism from all over. Her colleagues in the field did not believe she was up to the task.

Some even heckled that the M.D behind her name stood for 鈥淢ule Driver鈥�. Many men at the time, including doctors, believed that a woman鈥檚 skull was 10% percent smaller than a man鈥檚 on average. They believed that a woman more so a black woman could not compete with men intellectually.

Her colleagues had this patriarchal thinking that the medical profession was meant for men. She straggled to get some of her prescriptions filled by her superiors due to this. She however stood resilient despite all the criticism she received in her practice.

8.Rebecca Crumpler married a Virginia native who was formally enslaved

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While Rebecca was still living in Charles-town she met and married a Wyatt Lee. Wyatt Lee was a Virginia native who was formally enslaved in the U.S. The death of Wyatt`s son at the age of seven greatly pushed and motivated Rebecca to pursue nursing.

 Unfortunately Rebecca lost her husband to Tuberculosis back in 1863. She later on married her second husband, Arthur Crumpler in 1865. Arthur was formally enslaved and escaped bondage form Southampton County.

9.A society was named after her

The Rebecca Lee Society was named in her honor. The society was the first of its kind to allow African American women to join. Back in 2019, the then Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam declared the 30^th of March as a National Doctors Day.

Her legacy is still remembered all over the country. A Pre-health club was named after her at the Syracuse University. The Rebecca Lee Pre-health society strives to encourage people from all backgrounds to purse medicine.

The society offers mentors, workshops and resources to help members.

10.Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler died of fibroid tumors

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Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler died of fibroid tumors on March 9, 1895, at age 64. She was buried in Fairview Cemetery in the Hyde Park neighborhood without a headstone. Her husband, Arthur died later on in 1910 and he was buried next to Rebecca.

The two were buried in unmarked graves for about 125 years before a fund-raising campaign was started to give them both headstones.

Rebecca beat all odds by becoming the first African American physician in the United States despite being subjected into immense racism from her colleagues.