Introduction Mary Edwards Walker (1832–1919) was an American abolitionist, prohibitionist, prisoner of war, surgeon, and women's rights advocate. She remains the only woman in U.S. history to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor. A pioneering figure in medicine and gender equality, Walker defied societal norms by wearing men's clothing, advocating for dress reform, and challenging legal and cultural barriers against women in medicine and the military. Early Life and Education Mary Edwards Walker was born on November 26, 1832, in Oswego, New York, to…