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Gallery: Activism

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Early photographic portrait of Dorothea Dix, posed seated, in an oval frame.
A man is sitting on a straw bed in a prison; he is wearing a shoulder harness which is chained to the wall behind him.
A powerfully built, angry looking man is sitting on the floor, arms folded and knees are drawn up close, his head is turned to the left; his wrists and ankles are in irons which are chained to the wall
Illustration of Elizabeth Packard being taken to a mental institution against her will, carried by two men onto an awaiting train with many male and female onlookers
A young man on the left and a young woman on the right in formal, late 19th-century attire looking directly into the camera.

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Early photographic portrait of Dorothea Dix, posed seated, in an oval frame.

Dorothea Dix

Dorothea Dix (1802–1887), a school teacher, was the foremost advocate for the humane care of the mentally ill during the 19th century. Her efforts are credited with the establishment of 32 state mental hospitals throughout the United States.

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