Women Physicians: Medical Women

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Women Physicians: Medical Women
By Sophia Jex-Blake


http://xdl.drexelmed.edu/viewer.php?object_id=2673&t=womanmd


Origin: Medical Women, an article in an unknown publication. Published January 1, 1886.


Purpose: The purpose of this article was to inform a group of people that women were now able to attend colleges to become physicians. It listed a few colleges that were exceptions, but was a giant milestone as before this time, only men could go to college to work in the medical profession.


Limitation: The limitation of this source is that first of all, it does not list the publication/newspaper in which the article was published. This would have been an important piece of information in order to tell us as historians and readers who the audience was for this article. Another important piece of information would be a more accurate idea of whether or not this item of news was further publicized or made more well known to the general public. Without any additional information, we are unable to tell how "big of a deal" this really was.


Value: This is of significant value to a historian. It provides specific information for exactly what colleges were now accepting and not accepting women into their medical programs. This was a huge step in medicine for the women of the world, making this article evidence of a meaningful and exciting milestone in the progress of this career for women.

Should Contraception be Available to Women?

Letter to Stanley McCormick
By Margaret Sanger


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/filmmore/ps_letters.html


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Origin: This primary source is a letter written on October 27, 1950 by Margaret Sanger to Stanley McCorkmick, both women's rights activists who shared similar opinions on the issue of the availability of contraception to women.


Purpose: The purpose of this primary source was to discuss the details of the goals of Margaret Sanger, and how she strived for the final goal of having contraception more available to any women who may need it. The letters back and forth discussed the possibility of a grant in order to quicken the process of making contraception/"the pill" available.


Limitations: If we knew more about who Stanley McCormick was and what her stance was, it would be easier to follow the conversations between the two activists.


Value: This source has a decent amount of value to a historian who may be studying woman's rights and woman's social issues. It provides actual information on the facts and details of the movement and gives a look into the thoughts of Margaret Sanger.