Who really said it
Elizabeth Blackwell wrote this in her 1895 autobiography, not Susan B. Anthony.
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
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Disputed credit — copy with the correction
“The gross perversion and destruction of motherhood by the abortionist filled me with indignation, and awakened active antagonism” — Elizabeth Blackwell, Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women (1895); not Susan B. Anthony
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Evoking the world of Elizabeth Blackwell — Physician and autobiographer. Theme: "The gross perversion and destruction of motherhood by the abortionist filled me with indignation, and awakened active antagonism". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Provenance
The gross perversion and destruction of motherhood by the abortionist filled me with indignation, and awakened active antagonism.
Read the attribution evidenceHow we verified this
The identified English source was published before 1931 and is public domain in the United States.
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Fact-check
Elizabeth Blackwell wrote this in her 1895 autobiography, not Susan B. Anthony.
The fetched 1895 autobiography names Blackwell on its title page and contains the exact sentence in chapter II. The passage is retrospective autobiography; do not label this precise sentence a directly inspected 1845 diary entry. Evidence ↗
Context
Blackwell describes the statement while looking back on her decision to enter medicine. The inspected 1895 autobiography establishes the writer, whereas calling the sentence an inspected 1845 diary entry would give the evidence an unwarranted form and date.
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Title page dated 1895 and chapter II establish author, work and sentence.
Gutenberg identifies Blackwell and marks the transcription public domain in the USA.
Source collection for Blackwell’s writings and biography.
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For writers & researchers
Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women, chapter II (1895).
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘The gross perversion and destruction of motherhood by the abortionist filled me with indignation, and awakened active antagonism’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/the-gross-perversion-and-destruction-of-motherhood-by-the/