In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell received a medical degree from Geneva College, making history as America's first female doctor. Unfortunately, no one trusted a female doctor enough to allow her to actually let her practice. It took almost 10 years before Blackwell was able to successfully open a clinic in NYC and draw patients—a clinic which still runs today as part of the New York Downtown Hospital.
When "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" hit television in the early '90s, no one would have thought twice about a female physician. Watching the show, however, viewers learned about the many challenges that the very capable Dr. Mike faced as a female in a male-dominated field—challenges that mirrored some of the real-like struggles of Dr. Blackwell.
Of course, being accepted as a female physician in the 19th century was far from Dr. Mike's biggest issue. She and the other characters on the show found themselves up against rattlesnakes, rampant disease in a time with few vaccinations options, limited supplies and equipment and a remote location out on the Western frontier.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Dr. Quinn and her associates were often caught up in struggles between the local Native American tribes and the U.S. Army—struggles that reflected real events of the period.
For more than half a decade, viewers tuned in to watch Dr. Quinn survive another day—and to see if she would ever end up with that handsome and rugged mountain man. Think you know everything there is to know about this series? Prove it with this quiz!