Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard was born in 1816. She was a well-educated woman who studied French, algebra and the new classics with the support of her well off parents. Elizabeth married Calvinist minister Theophilus Packard in 1839. She worked as a teacher in Illinois and defended John Brown, who was a leading anti-slavery activist in pre-Civil War America and questioned her husband’s religious beliefs.
As a result, her husband admitted her to a mental institution as during that era, a husband could have his wife committed without either a public hearing or her consent. After spending 3 years in the asylum, Elizabeth managed to get a jury trial and won after battling for 5 days. Married women in some states at the time had no legal rights to their property or children which motivated her to advocate for the rights of women and her experience motivated her to advocate for the rights of people accused of insanity. She wrote several books to highlight her experiences and raise awareness.
