Do you know the story of Mary Edwards Walker? After the Civil War broke out, hoping to join the ranks of the Union, she went to Washington, but because she was a woman, she was not allowed to serve as a medical officer. She could only decide to work as an unpaid volunteer surgeon at the U.S. Patent Office Hospital in Washington. But there were no female surgeons in the army at the time, so she worked as a nurse in makeshift hospitals set up around the capital. Mary Edwards Walker was born on November 26, 1832 in Oswego, New York. She is the fifth daughter of her parents. Her parents encouraged her to think freely and allowed her to wear "bloomers" instead of the skirts and corsets that women were required to …show more content…
After the war ended in 1865, Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Andrew Johnson. Since she never officially enlisted, she never received a military pension. In addition to her work during the Civil War, she was an advocate for women's rights. She was known for wearing pants and advocating for "dress reform." In 1870, she was arrested in New Orleans for dressing like a man. Walker responded to criticism of her clothing choices by saying, "I don't wear men's clothes. I wear my own clothes." She also fought for the right to vote and tried to register to vote in 1871, but was rejected. She believed that the U.S. Constitution already gave women the right to vote. It is also because of these actions that she is the only woman in American history to receive the Medal of Honor. But in 1916, after the government reviewed Walker's qualifications, she and many others were stripped of the Medal of Honor until 1977, when President Jimmy Carter legally restored the Medal of Honor to Walker's name. There are many great women like Mary Edwards Walker in American history who have been fighting for their rights. Everyone has their own rights and cannot be discriminated against or deprived of their