Rebecca Lee Crumpler was born in Delaware in 1831. She was raised by her aunt in Pennsylvania, who often spent time caring for sick neighbors. Inspired by her aunt, Crumpler began working as a nurse in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1852. During her eight years as a nurse, she impressed many of the doctors that she worked with. These doctors eventually encouraged her to apply to medical school and wrote letters of recommendation.
In 1860, Crumpler began medical school at the New England Female Medical College. This school was the first in the U.S. to train female doctors. They received much criticism, with many people claiming that women were too frail or not intelligent enough to practice medicine. She graduated in 1864 as the first Black woman to receive an M.D. in the United States. At the time, only 300 of the 54,543 physicians in the U.S. were women, and none of them were Black. Her title was “doctress of medicine”.
Crumpler began her practice treating mostly women and children in the Boston area. After the Civil War ended in 1865, she moved to Richmond, Virginia. She worked with the Freedman’s Bureau to provide healthcare for recently freed slaves and other poor citizens. During this time, she faced intense racism and sexism, including administrators who didn’t allow her to admit patients and pharmacists who would not fill prescriptions she ordered. Nevertheless, she described that experience as “a proper field for real missionary work, and one that would present ample opportunities to become acquainted with the diseases of women and children. During my stay there nearly every hour was improved in that sphere of labor. The last quarter of the year 1866, I was enabled . . . to have access each day to a very large number of the indigent, and others of different classes, in a population of over 30,000 colored.”
Crumpler returned to Boston in 1869 and practiced from her home in a predominantly Black neighborhood in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. She provided care for many women and children, regardless of whether they could pay. In 1883, Crumpler published “A Book of Medical Disclosures,” making her one of the first African American authors of a medical book. The book is based on notes from her years as a practicing physician and focuses on health advice for women and children.
Rebecca Lee Crumpler was a true pioneer, facing numerous challenges as she broke down barriers for women of color in medicine. Until recently, her life has remained in the historical shadows. There are no surviving pictures of her, and much of the information about her life comes from the introduction of her book. On July 16th, 2020, there was a ceremony held at Fairview Cemetery in Hyde Park, Boston to mark her gravestone, spearheaded by the Friends of Hyde Park Library. Her former home on Joy Street in Beacon Hill is part of the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail.
Jaclyn Long is a first year Ph.D. student in the Immunology Program at Harvard Medical School.
Cover image by Parentingupstream from Pixabay.
This biography is part of our “Picture a Scientist” initiative. To learn more about the amazing men and women who paved the way for modern scientific discovery, check out our homepage.
its my birthday (:
It is a short and concise article that teaches us not to give up at all costs.
African-Americans achieved this feat when it was difficult to get into medical school. It makes us consider: “Never give up!”
Thank you for this beautiful story. 🙏
I like this article to Rebecca Lee Crumpler, thanks for sharing this story with us, I really love it
Im 10 and trying to do a project do u know how hard that is and this site di not give me enough info
Same here, but I’m 15yld.
Hi Lucy,
If you click on the links throughout the article (red text), those will bring you to websites with more information. I hope they are helpful! Good luck with your project!
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Loved reading this Ms Long. 🙏🏾 Thank you for sharing this inspirational story of a true American hero Ms. Rebecca Lee Crumpler. I’ll definitely check out the mentioned homepage 💙 Karma 💙 this.
Great article of Rebecca Lee Crumpler. She is remembered on the Charlestown Women’s Trail as well as the West End Trail and the Hyde Park Trail. However, the photo is not Dr. Crumpler but Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African American nurse. A photo of Dr. Crumpler has yet to be found.
Thank you.
Boston Women Heritage Trail
BWHT.org
Hi Maria,
It is great to hear of the many ways in which Dr. Crumpler is remembered. Thank you so much for pointing out the photo. We have removed it, and I apologize for the mistake.
She should be honored in this great field, as well as for Black History Month and Women’s History Month. It is unfortunate that there were no pictures or drawings of her- if only we could have seen the determination in her eyes!
I am so proud to know that this woman paved the way for many others!
Thank you so much as HIStory is NEVER tobe trusted. I am actually referencing the photo you addressed.