Dix was born April 4, 1802 in Hampden, ME. Her first job was as a teacher for the poor and neglected children. Years later she also started to write devotional books for children to read. After writing her devotional books she joined the reform movement and became an activist.
Dix contributions to the medical field started with fighting for the rights of people with mental illnesses. During the civil war she was also the superintendent of the nurses for the Union Army.
She became an activist because she taught the inmates in prison and she saw how they were treated and she felt as if something needed to be done about it. The first step she