Rebecca Lee Crumpler, born February 8, 1831 as Rebecca Davis was an American physician. After studying at the New England Female Medical College, in 1864 she became the first African-American woman to become a doctor of medicine in the United States. Crumpler challenged the prejudice that prevented African Americans from pursuing careers in medicine. she became a published author, which was nearly unheard of for African-Americans at the time, and was even more rare for African-American women. crumpler is known for publishing “A Book Of Medical Discourses: In Two Parts” in 1883.