Mary Edward Walker – The Only Woman to Win the Medal of Honor

US History/E. Napp Name: ______

Reading:

“The Only Woman to Win the Medal of Honor” by Suzanne Hall, Farmer’s Almanac 2015

Mary Edward Walker, still the only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor, deserves more historical attention than she gets. A free-thinking proponent of women’s rights, she earned a medical degree and risked her life as a surgeon during the Civil War, often going behind the lines to treat not only soldiers but injured civilians as well.

Born in Oswego, New York, in 1832 into an abolitionist and progressive family, Walker was one of five girls and one boy. By following her father into a career as a medical doctor, she broke the mold of women of her time. She was the only woman in her medical school class at Syracuse (New York) Medical School, graduating in 1855 after 39 weeks of medical training.

Walker was a feminist in thought, action, and dress. She kept her maiden name when she married fellow physician Albert Miller. They later divorced. She wore trousers and a man’s jacket at the wedding ceremony. For a lecture on women’s rights, she once donned men’s full dress and attire, including a top hat. When in 1863 she finally got her wish to join the Army of the Cumberland, she designed and wore a modified man’s style uniform complete with pants.

Walker began her medical career in practice with her husband. The pair didn’t do well, probably because female doctors were uncommon and distrusted. When the Civil War broke out, she tried to enlist in the Union Army. She was turned down but allowed to volunteer as an acting assistant surgeon. She was the first woman to serve the Army as a surgeon. Believing she was a spy, which she may very well have been, she was captured by the Confederate Army and held as a prisoner of war in Richmond, Virginia. Four months later, she and other doctors were released in exchange for Confederate surgeons held by the Union forces. For the rest of the war, she practiced medicine at a woman’s prison in Kentucky and an orphanage in Tennessee. Following the war, Walker was active as a writer and lecturer on women’s rights. Particularly interested in dress, she often was arrested for wearing pants instead of skirts.

In recognition of her military service, on November 11, 1865, President Andrew Johnson presented her with the Medal of Honor. The award, often mistakenly called the Congressional Medal of Honor, was established by President Abraham Lincoln for those who distinguished themselves during the Civil War. It remains the nation’s highest commendation. In 1917, the army abruptly asked for her medal back. The eligibility criteria had changed and medals were revoked for Walker and 910 other noncombatants. She refused to return her medal and wore it until her death two years later. It wasn’t until 1977 that her service was once again recognized when President Jimmy Carter awarded her medal once again. That citation praised her “distinguished gallantry, self-sacrifice, patriotism, dedication and unflinching loyalty to her country, despite the apparent discrimination because of her sex.”

Questions:

1-  What year was Ms. Mary Edward Walker born? Where? ______

2-  Describe Ms. Mary Edward Walker’s family of origin. ______

3-  Define the following terms:

a)  Abolitionist:

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b)  Progressive: ______

c)  Feminist: ______

4-  Identify two facts about Ms. Mary Edward Walker’s medical training. ______

5-  How did Ms. Mary Edward Walker demonstrate her feminist convictions when she married? ______

6-  Describe Ms. Mary Edward Walker’s attire or clothing choices. ______

7-  How did Ms. Mary Edward Walker dress when she joined the Army of the Cumberland? ______

8-  Describe Ms. Mary Edward Walker’s involvement in the Civil War. ______

9-  What did the Confederate Army believe about Ms. Mary Edward Walker? ______

10- What happened to her as a result of her capture by the Confederate Army? ______

11- Why was she finally released by the Confederate Army? ______

12- How did Ms. Mary Edward Walker spend the rest of the war years? ______

13- Why was Ms. Mary Edward Walker frequently arrested? ______

14- What did President Andrew Johnson present Ms. Mary Edward Walker with on November 11, 1865? ______

15- What is this medal often mistakenly called? ______

16- What did the army abruptly ask Ms. Mary Edward Walker for in 1917? ______

17- How did Ms. Mary Edward Walker respond to this request? ______

18- What happened in 1977? ______

19- What did President Jimmy Carter’s citation praise Ms. Mary Edward Walker for? ______

Reflection:

Sometimes brave and important individuals are forgotten by the present generation. Perhaps these individuals are not mentioned in history textbooks or school curriculum. But it is important to remember that the history textbook is only one meditation on the past. There are many fascinating stories of the past to be discovered, to be explored.

Take a moment to write a reflection about the article. What surprised you? What made you think? How are the issues that Ms. Mary Edward Walker faced no longer with us or perhaps still with us today? Let your reflection summarize your interaction with the reading. When we read, we are transformed. New questions arise. New conclusions develop. Share your response to the reading in the space below:

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Analytical Thinking Response:

Clothing is more than the garments we wear. Clothing is a reflection of our consciousness, of our values. Whether Mohandas K. Gandhi’s decision to wear the simple garb of the agricultural peasant or Ms. Mary Edward Walker’s decision to wear pants, clothing can challenge cultural values, cultural norms. Look at the photographs below. How can clothing serve as a vehicle for either embracing cultural values or rejecting cultural norms? Create a thesis for your paragraph and defend your argument.

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