Who is Lydia Pinkham?
Lydia Pinkham was a 19th century woman who established a thriving business selling a patent medicine known as Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound. Her savvy business and marketing skills turned the business into a multinational empire, and Lydia Pinkham products continue to be available on the market today, for people who want to try them for themselves. While the formula has changed substantially from its 19th century origins, Lydia Pinkham’s tonic continues to be popular in some communities. Pinkham was born into the Estes family in 1819. Her large Quaker family was famous for being fiercely abolitionist and anti-segregationist, and the young Lydia undoubtedly met a number of prominent abolitionist activists in her youth. Ultimately, the Estes family broke with the Quaker church, due to conflicting views about slavery. In 1843, she married Isaac Pinkham, and the two had several children. During the 19th century, home made medicines and tonics were extremely common. The practice of
