The History of Women's Education in America

An early school

American women have been blazing the trails of education since the 18th century. Women’s education in America was initially defined by learning how to perform household chores until the mid-1800s. Early American settlers held fast to the notion of confining females to the domestic interests of cleaning, cooking and child-rearing. However, American women began to seek opportunities for further education, along with equal rights. From the days of early colonial period education to modern times, the history of women’s education has evolved through milestone events that have shaped American culture.

History of Women's Education During the 1700s

Girls were expected to be well-versed in household chores during the 1700s.

During the 1700s, children were educated in day-care environments called "dame schools," so titled because they were run by women, commonly referred to as dames. This type of education was by no means formal. Typically, dames were mothers who often went about completing household chores while teaching neighborhood children the alphabet, numbers, prayers and domestic duties. Hornbooks were used as textbooks for children in dame schools. A sheet of parchment or paper protected by a sheet of transparent horn was placed on a piece of wood with a handle. These "books" consisted mainly of the alphabet and prayers.

Significance of School Districts During the Late 1700s

Colonists established school districts during the late 1700s.

During the late 1700s, colonists established school districts with the help of New England’s most influential Puritan minister, Cotton Mather. This heightened the realization that education was a necessary component of childhood development. However, schools were scarce and girls still didn’t attend school outside the home until the end of the 1700s, when grammar schools began to allow females to attend classes.

Basic Education for Girls

The one-room school house was open to all children.

Either from home or in the rare circumstance of the classroom setting, girls began to learn what was phonetically referred to as the “3 Rs”--reading, writing and "rithmetic." By the mid-1750s, 65 percent of females could read and write. By the 1840s, the period known as the "common school movement" was well under way. Education reformers Horace Mann and Henry Barnard worked tirelessly in Massachusetts and Connecticut to establish statewide common-school systems. By 1918, all elementary-aged children attended school but, beyond the primary years, girls were not expected nor encouraged to continue pursuit of formal education. Any form of continued education for females was achieved and resourced privately, which proved financially difficult and was still considered a hindrance to the priorities of female domestic responsibility. However, any education at all seemed to spur on the hope for more, as women began to voice their desires for a higher education.

Significance of the Seneca Falls Convention

Oberlin College was the first college in America to admit women.

In 1833, Oberlin College in Ohio became the first college to permit women as well as black students to attend. A new era in women’s education began to unfold when Oberlin rewarded three women with degrees in 1841. In 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention in New York took place on a hot summer day on July 19. It became known as the singular most significant milestone in the force of women’s rights, including the right to the same educational opportunities as men. A declaration for women’s rights was written that was modeled on the United States' Declaration of Independence. The Seneca Falls Declaration cited numerous women’s concerns, including the right to vote as well as the right to a higher education. The document paved the way for women to achieve the same status as men in all endeavors.

Effects of Women's Pursuit of Equal Education Rights

The first woman was adrmitted to Harvard Medical School in 1945.

According to Elizabeth Horany in her article "Women and Education," by 1880, females made up 80 percent of the elementary school teacher work force and by 1910 they made up 39 percent of all college undergraduates. The first woman was permitted to attend Harvard Medical School in 1945. Perhaps the most significant accomplishment in terms of equality for women’s education was the Title IX Education Amendment of 1972. Title IX was passed to help put an end to discrimination based on sex for any educational programs receiving federal funding.

References

• Wisdom History in America Presented by Women's International Center
• University of Texas Education: Women's Issues Then and Now
• Chesapeake Education Library: The History of Education in America

Resources

• American Women's history, A Research Guide