Mary Edwards Walker

Mary Edwards Walker is the only woman in US history to receive the Medal of Honor. Known for wearing pants and her signature top hat, she was an outspoken advocate for women's rights.

Mary's parents were "free thinkers". They modeled non-traditional gender roles and raised her to question everything. Her family vigorously opposed slavery and prioritized their daughters' education. Mary earned her medical degree in 1855.

When the Civil War began in 1861, she tried to join as a medical officer. It took a few years of volunteering as a nurse before she was finally accepted as a surgeon.

In her time as a surgeon, she was a staunch advocate for patient rights. She felt that it was her duty to counsel soldiers about their right to refuse amputation despite the risk of her own dismissal.

Mary was a risk-taker. She often crossed battle lines to care for soldiers and civilians. In April of 1864, Walker was captured by Confederate troops as a spy before being freed during a prisoner swap four months later.

Mary was a noncomformist and activist her entire life. She fought for dress reform, abolition, and suffrage. She wore men’s clothes, despite being arrested for it multiple times. She felt men's clothes were more comfortable and hygienic and made her job as a surgeon easier.