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 * Dorothea Lynde Dix was born on April 4, 1802 in the town of Hampden in Maine. She was the first child of three born to Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow Dix. Hampden was taken over by the British in the War of 1812, however, the Dix's took refuge in Vermont shortly before the war began. Her family life can be described as abusive and nonexistent. Her mother was not in good mental health and her father was an abusive alcoholic. Once the family was in Worcester they had two more** **children, Joseph and Charles. Almost immediately Dorothea began to care for her smaller brothers. When she was young, her father tought her Math and Science so when she entered school she was smarter and ahead of everybody else. Her cousin Edward Bangs helped her get into a school to start teaching. When Dorthea was 18, and was 31, Edward proposed to her. At first she was scared and didn't know what to do. But later she exepted his offer. In 1830 Dorthea became weak and ill. In 1836 she was diagnosed with the condition TuberCulosis -[]media type="youtube" key="f-4kaqc6cR0" height="414" width="679"Dorothea Dix (continued)**======