Health & Heritage:
Women and Medicine in History
Sponsored by the Debra Najecki Endowment
The Brigade of the American Revolution is excited to propose a groundbreaking conference at Washington's Crossing Historic Park, PA on March 1st and 2nd, 2025, focusing on the vital yet often overlooked subject of women’s health in the 18th Century. This event will bring together historians, medical experts, and enthusiasts to explore the multifaceted roles women played in health and wellness during a transformative era in American history. Through engaging presentations and interactive sessions, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and advancements in women’s health care during the colonial period.
This conference aims to be more than just a historical exploration; it will offer participants the chance to engage with history through hands-on activities, discussions, and re-enactments. By focusing on women’s health, the event will provide a unique perspective on 18th-century life, highlighting the resilience and resourcefulness of women who navigated the challenges of their time. We invite all those interested in history, medicine, and women’s studies to join us for this enlightening and interactive experience.
The Debra Najecki Endowment
The Debra Najecki Endowment was established by her husband in loving memory of Debra Najecki, who was a dedicated member of the Brigade of the American Revolution from 1987 until her passing in 2017. Debra was deeply passionate about the Brigade and its mission, and she championed the role of women in the organization. An avid lover of horses and a fierce advocate for historical preservation, Debra's spirit of determination and passion for the American Revolution continues through this endowment. The funds will be used to honor her legacy and further her work in promoting the ideals she held so dear.
Presenters
This presentation list may be subject to change -
Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - Keynote Speaker
Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is the 300th Anniversary University Professor Emerita at Harvard University and a distinguished historian known for her work on early American history and women's studies. She won the Pulitzer Prize for A Midwife's Tale and popularized the phrase, "Well-behaved women seldom make history." Dr. Ulrich's work has earned her numerous accolades, including a MacArthur Fellowship and the National Humanities Medal, and she continues to engage with historical scholarship through writing, lectures, and consulting.
Join us for an engaging presentation with Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, renowned historian and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Midwife’s Tale. Dr. Ulrich will explore the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife and mother in 18th-century Maine, as detailed in her diary. She will also share insights into her research process, discussing how this historical account was transformed into a compelling narrative and adapted into a film—complete with “re-enactments” involving newborn babies, bringing Martha’s world vividly to life.
William Woys Weaver
Dr. Weaver will be presenting about his translation of SAUER'S HERBAL CURES: AMERICA'S FIRST BOOK OF BOTANICAL HEALING. This was assembled by Pennsylvania apothecary and printer Christopher Sauer Jr. (1721-1784). The Roughwood Seed Collection, now comprising over 5,000 varieties of heirloom food plants, was begun informally in 1932 by his grandfather H. Ralph Weaver (1896-1956), will be offering heirloom seeds for sale. Many of the plants noted in Sauer's book will be featured in those seeds offered for sale
William Woys Weaver is an internationally known food ethnographer and author of 20 books dealing with culinary history and heritage seeds. He is the founder of The Roughwood Table, a non-profit organization devoted to heritage foods from heritage seeds. His grandfather, H. Ralph Weaver, established the Roughwood Seed Collection in 1932, the oldest private seed collection in the Eastern United States which houses the largest collection of Native American seeds in the country. William Woys Weaver received his PhD in ethnography from University College, Dublin. His non-fiction works are represented by the Lisa Ekus Group and have won many awards. His most recent non-fiction work was published by Rizzoli (2019) and another Rizzoli title will be published in the fall of 2021. Dr. Weaver also is an accomplished food photographer and has illustrated two of his books. Having worked on fiction and folk tale for many years, he now looks forward to bringing that material into print
Dr. Susan Hanket Brandt
Follow the Science: Elizabeth Coates Paschall and the Pursuit of Medical Knowledge
Susan Brandt is a lecturer in the history department at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her PhD in History from Temple University. Brandt completed a fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania McNeil Center for Early American Studies. Brandt’s dissertation on women healers was awarded the 2016 Lerner-Scott Prize for the best doctoral dissertation in U.S. Women's History by the Organization of American Historians. She has published an article in Early American Studies and a chapter in Barbara Oberg, ed., Women in the American Revolution: Gender, Politics, and the Domestic World. She revised a chapter on early Pennsylvania in the forthcoming second edition of Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth. Brandt’s book, Women Healers: Gender, Authority, and Medicine in Early Philadelphia (Penn Press, 2022)received Honorable Mention for the First Book Award, granted by the Library Company of Philadelphia. Prior to pursuing a career in history, Brandt worked as a nurse practitioner.
Abigail Cooper, PhD
Ms. Cooper's current research explores the role of ritual and revival in political awakening within refugee camps during wartime slave rebellions that led to Emancipation. Known as "contraband camps," these spaces housed Black Americans caught between slavery and freedom. The project examines Black creativity in forming kinship and postwar political participation, while also analyzing religion as a mediator between the enslaved and the state. It addresses questions of belonging for those navigating statelessness and self-emancipation during this pivotal era.
This presentation will highlight the crucial role of Black midwives, focusing on their efforts to ensure the survival and autonomy of enslaved women and their children. It will explore how midwives supported Black mothers in reclaiming reproductive freedom, enriching the broader narrative of emancipation beyond the battlefield. By bringing midwives' perspectives into view, the session will emphasize the intersection of Black female leadership, spiritual practice, and the fight for bodily and political freedom.
Donah Zack Beale
Donah Zack Beale has been active in the Living History Community on many sides of the conflict: British and Continental, and on occasion, French for 34 years. Donah has collected 18th material culture during that time with a focus on little brown medical books, instruments, apothecary artifacts, and documentation of medical practices and sanitation in the Philadelphia area. Donah has conducted 20th and 21st century medical research since 1990 and had authored numerous scientific papers and presented at National Symposiums. She holds a MA from the University of Pennsylvania Psychology and Gerontology.
She brings this scientific approach to her Living History presentations and relies on primary sources, fully recognizing that then, as now, physicians do not always agree. Donah has been blessed to do research in the Library of Olde Pennsylvania Hospital, and collaborate with Stacey C. Peeples, Curator and Lead Archivist since 2018. It is those findings that are the basis of her presentation: Looking for Lucy Finley: Findings from the archive of Old Pennsylvania Hospital to include the duties and salaries of laundresses and nurses, smallpox variolation, and the sadness of wrong hypothesis.
A tantalizing advertisement in a 1781 Philadelphia newspaper led to a journey to discover the story of an entrepreneurial immigrant woman living in Albany, New York at the time of the American Revolution. Learn about how Mary Armbruster may have practiced midwifery, the laws that governed her practice, as well as the tools, skills, and medicines she may have used. Using surviving documents and material culture, the audience will explore the world in which Mary lived over 250 years ago.
Anne Clothier has been fascinated by the eighteenth-century era and local history since childhood. After pursuing a BA in History and a MA in Museum Studies, she has worked in local museums and frequently offers historical interpretation programs at various regional historic sites.
She is located in Saratoga County, New York.
Andrea Dodge Ackermann PhD, RN, CHSE started teaching at MSMC School of Nursing in 1999. She served as Chairperson for 4 years. Her main contribution to the School of Nursing was the creation and development of the nursing simulation center. Since her retirement in December, 2018, she continues to serve on the board of the MSMC Mu Epsilon chapter of Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society and attend events on campus.
Through a comprehensive overview drawn from primary sources, we will gain insights into the practices, challenges, and triumphs of nurses during this tumultuous period. Andrea will provide a captivating narrative that brings to life the experiences of nurses, physicians, and patients during the war. She will delve into the daily routines, medical treatments, and emotional toll faced by those on the front lines of healthcare. We will learn about the unique challenges nurses faced in providing care in makeshift hospitals, on battlefields, and in homes, often with limited resources and under constant threat of danger. Andrea's passion for history and her expertise in nursing make this a presentation not to be missed!