This paper considers the five daughters of Hannah and Samuel
Blackwell, who were born between 1816 and 1826. None of the Blackwell sisters
ever married, and four of them made notable achievements in their careers. This
paper explores the role of dynamics within the Blackwell family in contributing to
this unusual pattern. It argues that it was not a coincidence that this unusual
group of women came from the same family, and that the family's history, its
special attitudes and understanding of the world, made the family itself a strong
influence in shaping the roles these women played once they matured and entered
society.
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