http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WandersonE.htm

http://www.notablebiographies.com/A-An/Anderson-Elizabeth-Garrett.html

 http://womenshistory.about.com/od/physicians/p/e_g_anderson.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/garrett_anderson_elizabeth.shtml

http://www.victorianweb.org/science/health/eganderson.html

I do not own any of the pictures used. All pictures belong to the owners.

The new act, the 1870 Education Act allowed women to vote for school boards and I was a strong feminist. So I took part in the elections and ran for a position in the school boards. I was elected to the school board with Flora Stevenson, Lydia Becker, Emily Davies, and myself. I was determined to make changes for the schools and provide the things that the children would need to get a proper education. My fellow members, one of which was my long-time friend, and I felt confident to be in the school board, hopeful for a powerful change in the school system. This new act was a profound moment for me because it gave women more say in society and we could do things that we couldn't before. This was even more overwhelming because women that sent their children to school could have a saying to what they wanted their children to be experiencing in school. It gave me and other mothers more confidence in what our children would learn and how it would affect their future.


This new act allowed the board directors to make changes need in all schools including elementary and secondary. We would also be able to change or hold the fees that the students needed to pay for enrollment. This gave us a whole new power to control the fees that the families needed to pay or possibly none at all. The 1870 Education Act changed the way that education systems would be run.

I was fortunate enough to meet Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman doctor to graduate and get a degree in medicine. She graduated in the United States and she was holding lectures in London, England where she talked about "Medicine as a Profession for Ladies." She talked about how becoming a doctor is not only for men but is also a career that women can be involved in. She was an inspiring woman and helped me to believe that I could be a doctor and make a difference in society. Blackwell also explained how mothers should be educated about the health of their children and their own health as well. She also said that women could help in many institutions such as prisons, hospital, and schools to spread the word of health and the new-found role of women. Elizabeth Blackwell was kind enough to talk to me and we were both engaged in a meaningful conversation about our passion for medicine.

At first, I was an assistant surgical nurse at the London's Middlesex Hospital. I was able to assist the doctor in some of the procedures and learn about some of the tools and skills needed to perform surgeries. Many of the doctors did not treat me equally and I was usually looked down upon by others. I was able to view these procedures for a period of three months and soon enough I was an "unofficial" medical student. I became a medical student at the hospital and I could view the doctors performing surgeries but no one took me seriously at the facility. I knew that people would not acknowledge me and so I kept on learning and understanding the mechanisms of medicine.
I applied for Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of Paris but I was rejected and that did not put me down. I was so confident that I could get my name on the Medical Registry. So then I decided to get a degree in the Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries. So I took a career in apothecary and I had to study for at least five years. After, I went to the St. Andrews University of Scotland and they would not let me take the examination. In St. Andrews University of Scotland, my father threatened to sue them if they did not put me on the Medical Registry. So finally I was put on the registry.

I was born in the beautiful city of Whitechapel, London on June 9, 1836. When I was a little girl my father owned a small pawnbroker's shop and after I was born, he bought a warehouse that sold corn and coal. I spend most of my childhood in that shop. I enjoyed watching my father's customers speak with him and watching the shipments being loaded onto the carts. Soon enough, my father made enough money to send me to school where I attended Blackheath for two years. I wanted to pursue a fulfilling life and did not want to stay home until I could marry. I wanted to get a job and become active in society. I wanted to become a feminist and speak up for all the women. I met Emily Davies, another feminist, and Elizabeth Blackwell, who was the first female doctor in the United States. These women were so inspirational and really made me believe that I could make a difference for our sex. At first my parents rejected the idea of pursuing a career, especially one of a doctor's. But finally they gave in and I received certification from the Society of Apothecaries. I was so glad that my father supported after some hesitation and I was even more glad when he helped me to establish a medical practice in London. I finally was able to become an active woman in society. Later, my fellow feminists and I created a petition for women's suffrage. However rejected by the Parliament we received the support of the Liberals. I did my best to receive a official degree in medicine but all officials refused to recognize me. I was enraged and disgusted by them. I was also continuing to get my degree and became involved in the Contagious Diseases Acts with Josephine Butler and as well as helping women being able to serve on School Boards. A year later, I was married to James Skelton Anderson and we had three children. After two my children passed away, I continued my medical career and created the New Hospital for Women. I was especially glad that my sister Millicent Garrett Fawcett became the president of the National Union of Women's Suffrage. I could count on the support of my sister and soon enough I became the first woman mayor in England. After accomplishing this my daughter Louisa Garrett Anderson participated in an arson campaign, that I rejected. I was shocked when she was put in prison for using illegal military help. For the rest of my life, I spent it in a small cottage in the Highlands with my daughter and Eveyln Sharp, my good friend.