Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Born in Delaware in 1831 and raised in Pennsylvania, Rebecca Lee Crumpler worked as a nurse before studying at the New England Female Medical College in Boston. In 1864, she earned her medical degree, making history as the first Black woman in the United States to receive an M.D.

After the Civil War, she practiced in Richmond, Virginia, where she cared for newly freed Black communities and women and children who had very limited access to medical care. She later returned to Boston and continued her work there.

In 1883, she published A Book of Medical Discourses, a practical guide focused especially on the health of women and children. The book is remembered not only for its medical advice, but also as a rare and important record of a Black woman physician's voice in the 19th century.