Juliet Stillman Severance

American physician, spiritualist, and women's rights activist

Juliet H. Severance

Juliet Stillman Severance (1833–1919) was an American physician, spiritualist, and women's rights activist. She was a prominent figure in the 19th century reform movements, advocating for women's suffrage, abolitionism, and health reform.

Early life and education

Juliet Stillman was born in 1833 in De Ruyter, New York. She was raised in a family that valued education and social reform, which influenced her later pursuits. Her early education was supplemented by her own voracious reading and interest in social issues.

Medical career

Severance pursued a career in medicine at a time when few women were admitted to medical schools. She attended the Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she graduated in 1858. Her medical practice focused on holistic and alternative medicine, aligning with the eclectic medicine movement that emphasized botanical remedies and individualized patient care.

Activism

Severance was deeply involved in the women's suffrage movement, working alongside other prominent suffragists to secure voting rights for women. She was also an advocate for abolitionism, believing in the equality of all people regardless of race or gender.

Spiritualism

In addition to her medical and activist work, Severance was a dedicated spiritualist. She believed in the possibility of communicating with spirits and was involved in the spiritualist movement that gained popularity in the mid-19th century. Her spiritual beliefs often intersected with her reform work, as she saw spiritualism as a means to promote social change.

Later life and legacy

In her later years, Severance continued to write and speak on issues of health, women's rights, and spiritualism. She remained active in various reform movements until her death in 1919. Her contributions to medicine and social reform have been recognized as part of the broader history of women's rights in the United States.

Related pages

• Women's suffrage in the United States
• Eclectic medicine
• Spiritualism
• Abolitionism in the United States