Tuesday 22 March 2016

Education for American Women

https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/education/introduction.html

I believe that the provision of education for American women has had a massive impact on the status of women in America today. This is significant in comparison to colonial America, as education for women was commonly in order to learn household chores and duties, to prepare them in their roles as wives.

One of the most significant factors in the road to education would be the idea of 'Republican motherhood', a 20th century term. Following the Revolutionary War, there were several changes in women's education, due to changing social patterns and the new Republic's citizenry expectations. Due to the themes of independence and self-reliance, the need for intelligent and virtuous citizens increased. This meant that the provision of education to women wasn't for their individual benefits, but rather to put them in the position to impact future generations. Several women at the time reaped the benefits of this opportunity, participating in the civic culture. However, any women who attempted a political career were ridiculed and discriminated against. Despite this, the Republican Motherhood was an important step for women, as it justified women's education and acted as a stepping stone in the road we continue on today, with several successful female figures, such as Emma Watson and Malala Yousafzai continuing to fight for women's right to education in 2016.

A second major factor in the foundations of female education would be the establishment of schools for women, The opening of The Young Ladies Academy in 1787 was pivotal in said establishment, and was followed by several other academies being opened in early 1800's, their mission being to offer women an education equal to the same high standards which men had received throughout history.  Despite facing problems, such as teachers being overworked and having to skim over some subjects when teaching, this was also an incredibly significant event which led to coed public schools, and eventually the status of female education in America today.

To conclude, I believe that both of these examples factor enormously in the history of education of women in America, and are pivotal in the road to equality which we still travel in 2016.

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