Final answer:
America's first two trained nurses were Linda Richards and Mary Mahoney. Linda Richards was the first professionally trained American nurse and Mary Mahoney was the first African American professionally trained nurse.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first two trained nurses in America were Linda Richards and Mary Mahoney. Linda Richards is recognized as the first professionally trained American nurse, graduating from the New England Hospital for Women and Children in 1873. Mary Mahoney was the first African American to study and work as a professionally trained nurse in the United States, graduating in 1879. Both played significant roles in shaping the nursing profession and its formal education and training programs.
Although their service is distinct from those like Elizabeth Smellie, who served in World War I and World War II, understanding the contributions of figures like Richards and Mahoney is crucial to comprehending the development of nursing as a professional field in the United States.