Womens History

The American Revolution brought about profound changes within what was formerly colonial America . One of the areas that saw this profound change was the field of education . Where once education was solely the domain of men , now in Revolutionary America , women were being given the opportunity to further their educational pursuits . This will explain what led to this major change among the newly independent American men and women

Prior to the American Revolution , educational opportunities for women were very limited . Slave women only learned if they had masters willing to share

their knowledge with them . It had to be done in a secretive manner , as it was frowned upon for them to have any knowledge that was not related to their duties . For Native American and white women , the situation was extremely similar in that neither group received much schooling . However , there were different reasons for this . For the former , the focus was not on education but on teaching them how to assimilate into Anglo-Saxon America for the latter , the focus was not on education but on learning to run a household , as well as presenting themselves as the perfect example of womanhood

All this went through a huge change following the American Revolution Outside the South , where public schools were rare , primary public education for white women .became more common . Women 's opportunities for higher education - while not universally endorsed - also expanded (124 . The creation of a multitude of schools for women , such as the Philadelphia 's Young Ladies Academy and the Moravian Seminary , allowed young women to indulge in a world that had primarily belonged to men They did not just focus on the teaching of womanly skills , but also on teaching academic subjects such as history , grammar , geography , logic and philosophy (124

There were two issues that prompted the surge in promoting more education for women . First , there was the belief that every citizen of the republic needed and was entitled to a good education . Having this would enable them to be productive members of said republic , and it would contribute to the overall good of the public

Second , there was the view that women should have increased and improved education because it would enable them to prepare their children , particularly their sons , for their future duties as citizens of the American republic . The same influence could also be exerted on their husbands , as seen in the case of Abigail Adams , who played an integral role in her husband John Adams ' political career . Her influence could also be seen in her son , John Quincy Adams , who also had an illustrious political career

Within the reading are two excerpts that discuss two points of view concerning education for women . The first focuses on Dr . Benjamin Rush the preeminent physician and medical teacher of the revolutionary era (124 . In an essay entitled Thoughts upon Female Education , Rush promotes a more intense curriculum for female students . However , he makes it clear that women should not attempt to pursue more...