Dorothea Dix (1802-1887)  dorothea dix  Dorothea Dix is known as
one of the most influential social reformers of the nineteenth
century. In 1841 Dix, then a teacher, volunteered to teach a
Sunday school class to the women in the East Cambridge Jail in
Massachusetts. When she entered the jail to teach, she was
appalled at the conditions the inmates were forced to endure. At
the time, mentally ill people were viewed as incurable and
generally unaware of their surroundings. As a result, they were
often housed in filthy conditions without heat. After witnessing
the deplorable state of the East Cambridge Jail, Dix began
visiting and documenting the conditions in jails and almshouses.
She took detailed notes and presented her data to the
Massachusetts legislature. This led to the expansion of the
Worcester State Hospital. After completing her work in
Massachusetts, she took her crusade to every state east of the
Mississippi River. She founded several hospitals and schools for
those with mental illness as well as sp