ADVANCING EDUCATION

Key Women Contributors from the 1800’s

Mary Lyon

Catherine Beecher

Elizabeth Blackwell

By: Teri Preisler, Mariam Qureshi, Liz Drake

1797 - 1910

The Time Period

ABOLITIONISM

Emancipation. (1863). The culmination of the anti-slavery movement.

MANIFEST DESTINY

American Progress. (1872) – A representation of the modernization of the new west, Columbia (personification of United States) leads civilization westward stringing telegraph wire and holding a school book.

TEMPERANCE

The Ohio whiskey war-the ladies of Logan singing hymns in front of barrooms in aid of the temperance movement. (Morton, 1874).

WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE & LEGAL RIGHTS

National Anti-Suffrage Association. (Harris & Ewing, 1911?). Women’s fight for equality faced many obstacles.

A TASTE OF THE TIMES

Mary Lyon was only allowed to teach during the summer and was paid $0.75/week whereas men taught the rest of the year and were paid $10-$12/month (Mount Holyoke College, 2012).

Catherine Beecher was home schooled until the age of 10 and then only allowed to attend a private school which taught a limited curriculum to young women (An American Family: The Beecher Tradition, n.d.).

Elizabeth Blackwell was denied admission to medical schools in New York, Philadelphia and Boston (Hobart And William Smith College, 2012).

1797 Birt

h

1895 Mount H

olyoke beco

mes a c

ollege

2011 Princeton Review top 10 rankings of Mount Holyoke

1849 Dea

th

1837 Mount H

olyoke Fem

ale Sem

inary open

ed-

require

d 7 course

s in sc

ience

and m

athem

atics

for

graduati

on

1834 Pursued drea

m of crea

ting a f

emale

educational

institutio

n

1814 First te

aching jo

b, summer

only and paid

.75 co

mpared w

ith

$10-$12

1814 – 1834 Taught in

Mass

achuset

ts an

d

New H

ampshire

Mary Lyon

1802 Father’

s dea

th, nee

ded to

help

raise

7 siblin

gs

(Mount Holyoke, 2012; History’s Women The Unsung Heroines Mary Lyon Noted Female Educator, 2005)

1843 published

book, “A

Missionary

Offe

ring”

1824 opened

a girls

' school in

Bucklan

d calle

d the

Bucklan

d Female

School a

nd taught th

e summer

term

classe

s at Ip

swich

Female

Seminary

under her

frien

d

Zilpah

Gran

t

1915 Mount H

olyoke - fir

st insti

tution of

the Sev

en Sist

ers, fe

male eq

uivalent o

f the

Ivy League

VIEWS OF MARY LYON ON WOMEN AND EDUCATION

Mary Lyon believed that well-educated women were deemed better able

to raise the next generation of citizens and hoped to see women’s

influence spread beyond the household (Mount Holyoke, 2012).

Mary Lyon had a vision to create a familial institution for women with

rigorous academic entrance requirements and a curriculum modeled after

that of the prominent male institutions of the time (Mount Holyoke, 2012).

Mary believed education needed to be affordable for all.

Her teaching incorporated real life experiences; field trips, labs, and

experiments, as well as incorporating discussion as a teaching strategy.

She emphasized a mission of service.

1800

Birth

1847 Catherine co-fo

unded

the Board of Natio

nal

Popular Educa

tion

1832 Catherine ca

mpaigned with

her father f

or more sc

hools and

teachers

in frontie

r.

Founded another Female Seminary

in Cincin

nati

1823 Catherine fo

unded Hartf

ord

Female Seminary (one of th

e first of it

’s

kind)

1821 First t

eaching

job in N

ew Haven

CT

Catherine se

lf taught

herself M

ath, Latin

and Philosophy

1810 Catherin

e was s

ent to

Litchfield CT to

limite

d

schoolin

g available fo

r girl

s

Catherine Beecher

Homeschooled

until 10 years

old

1852 Catherin

e

founded Americ

an

Women’s Educa

tion

1878 Catherine

passed away

(An American Family: The Beecher Tradition, n.d.)

VIEWS OF CATHERINE BEECHER ON WOMEN AND

EDUCATION

Catherine strongly believed that to improve the face of the society, women

should not only be educated but should also know how to educate people

around them (An American Family: The Beecher Tradition, n.d.).

Catherine felt that corsets were unhealthy practice and deformed women’s

bodies. She believed that deformities caused by corsets could be passed on

to future generations and might degrade the race. Catherine proposed

adopting a school curriculum that included physical education for young

women and men to stay in shape (University of Toledo Libraries, 2012).

Catherine was also a great supporter of the Kindergarten system in

children’s education. She believed that children should be allowed to be

children and forcing them to act like adults was unhealthy for their

development (Absolute Astronomy, 2011).

Elizabeth Blackwell

1821 Birth1838 Father died, began working as a teacher

to help support t

he family

1847 First woman accepted into (G

eneva) Medical

School after 29 letters of re

jection

1849 Graduated with MD

1st in class1853 Opened sm

all clinic for poor w

omen

1857 Opened New York Infirmary for In

digent Women &

Children with Dr. Emily Blackwell &

Dr. Marie Zakrewska

1860 & 1864 Publications

1868 Opened Medical School fo

r women

at New York Infirm

ary

1875-1910 Professor of

Gynecology

1910 Death

1895 Autobiography Published

1869 Returned to England

1861-1864 Trained Nurses fo

r Union

Hospitals

1851 Returned to NYC & encountered

many restrictions, s

hunned as abortionist

1849 Continued studies o

verseas

1842 Decided to pursue

a professional career

1832

Moved to America

1874 co-founded London M

edical

School for w

omen

(Blackwell, E.,1895; Hobart And William College, 2012; National Library of Medicine, n.d.; National Women’s History Museum, n.d.; New York Downtown Hospital, n.d.; Rochester Regional Library Council; 2000; Soylent Communications, 2012).

VIEWS OF ELIZABETH BLACKWELL ON WOMEN & EDUCATION

Elizabeth Blackwell was not technically a suffragist. However, she was associated

with many through friends and family. She believed that all women were not equal

and should work to earn their place in society like she had to (Backus and Griffin,

n.d.).

She did believe that all women should have to opportunity to be educated (Backus

and Griffin, n.d.).

Blackwell gave lectures on physical education for women which helped her

connect with future supporters of her medical endeavors.(Blackwell, E. ,1895).

Promoted women’s ed in America & England

First female MD in British Medical Registry

QUOTES THAT GUIDED THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION

“Go where no one else will go. Do what no one else will do.” –

Mary Lyon

“It is the right and duty of every woman to employ the power

of organization and agitation in order to gain those advantages

which are given to the one sex and unjustly withheld from the

other.” – Catherine Beecher, 1870

“I do not wish to give [women] a first place(in medicine), still

less a second one--but the most complete freedom, to take their

true place whatever it may be.” – Elizabeth Blackwell, 1851

CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION

Mary Lyon, Catherine Beecher and Elizabeth Blackwell

were all proponents of female educational opportunities

and founders of schools for women.

Mary Lyon founded Mount Holyoke Female Seminary

Catherine Beecher founded Hartford Female Seminary in

Connecticut & The Western Female Institute in Cincinnati

and many others.

Elizabeth Blackwell founded the Women’s Medical

College in America and The London School of Medicine in

England (New York Downtown Hospital, n.d.).

INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION

Mary Lyon introduced science laboratory experiments to women. She

inspired women to pursue careers in the sciences as college teachers and

researchers (History’s Women, 2005).

Catherine Beecher believed that the inclusion of daily physical education

in children’s lives was extremely important. She developed a program of

calisthenics performed to music for young women and men (Catherine

Esther Beecher, 2012).

Elizabeth Blackwell opened the first medical college for women and

provided hands-on training opportunities for women at her infirmary

(Trachtenberg, 2000). It was also one of first medical schools to mandate

4 years of study (New York Downtown Hospital, n.d.).

LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES

Mary Lyon had the foresight to create a Board of Trustees for

Mount Holyoke so it never depended upon any single individual or

outside entity.

Catherine Beecher was driven and strong willed. She never gave up

her goal to educate and train women despite numerous restrictions.

Elizabeth Blackwell showed determination/resoluteness when she

choose her profession and persevered despite obstacles. She also

demonstrated vision and the ability to motivate others toward her

goal of opening and running a hospital and school for women.

IMPACTS ON TODAY

Mount Holyoke has set the standard for female higher education.

Quality of elementary and high school education improved nationwide due to

Graduates from Mount Holyoke.

The impact of Catherine’s work still shows by the dominance of female teachers in

educational institutions.

Elizabeth Blackwell founded The New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and

Children which still (2012) exists as New York Downtown Hospital.

Elizabeth Blackwell co-founded the Woman's Central Association of Relief which

became known as the United States Sanitary Aid Commission the Civil War precursor

to the American Red Cross.

Elizabeth Blackwell also co-founded the National Health Society now called the

National Health Service in the UK.

Neither gender nor race are obstacles to becoming a MD.

SUMMARY

Mary Lyon, Catherine Beecher and Elizabeth

Blackwell all had a profound effect on the ability of

women to obtain an education in a period when

women were not believed to be equal.

Their leadership in promoting women’s education

has had lasting effects on society and education.

REFERENCES

An American Family: The Beecher Tradition. (n.d.) Retrieved from

newman.baruch.cuny.edu/digital/2001/beecher/catherine.htm

Backus, M and Griffin, K. (n.d.). ENG 213 archives project at the Geneva historical

society. [2002-2009]. Retrieved from http://www.hws.edu/about/blackwell_history.aspx

Beecher, C.E. (1870). Retrieved from www.Poemhunter.com/quatations/famous.asp?

people=CatherineEBeecher

Blackwell, E. (1851, March 4). [letter to Baroness Anne Isabella Milbanke Byron].

Blackwell Family Papers. Library of Congress. Retrieved from

http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/mcc:@field(DOCID+@lit(mcc/ 065))

Blackwell, E. (1895). Pioneer work in opening the medical profession to women. London,

England: Longmas, Green and Co.

Catherine Esther Beecher. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/58300/Catherine- Esther-BeecherCatherine Beecher. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Catharine_BeecherEmancipation. (1863, January 24). Harper’s Weekly p. 56-57 retrieved from http://cartoons.osu.edu/nast/emancipation.htmFloyd, B. (2012, January 3). From Quackery to bacteriology. [Document 6]. University of Toledo Libraries, Toledo, OH. Retrieved from http://www.utoledo.edu/library/canaday/exhibits/quackery/quack6. htmlGast, J. (1872). American Progress. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/us/29.aspHarris & Ewing. [1911?]. National Anti-Suffrage Association. Retrieved from www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Women%27s_suffrage

History’s Women The Unsung Heroines Mary Lyon Noted Female Educator

(2005). Retrieved from

http://www.historyswomen.com/1stwomen/MaryLyon.htm

Hobart And William Smith College (2012). National Anti-Slavery Standard

(1869, July 24) vol. XXX, no. 12 Whole No. 1520 Retrieved from

http://www.hws.edu/about/blackwell/history/antislavery.aspx

Lyon, Mary. A Missionary Offering. Boston: Crocker & Brewster, 1843.

Mary Lyon. (2012). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/352959/Mary-Lyon

Morton, S.B. (1874). The Ohio whiskey war-the ladies of Logan singing

hymns in front of barrooms in aid of the temperance movement.

Retrieved from http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/image.php?

rec=959&img=220

Mount Holyoke. (2012). Mary Lyon. Retrieved from

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/marylyon/

National Library of Medicine. (n.d.) Changing the face of Medicine: Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. Retrieved from

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/ biography_35.htmlNational Women’s History Museum (n.d.). Elizabeth Blackwell. Retrieved from http://www.nwhm.org/educationresources/biography/biographies/

elizabeth-blackwell/#New York Downtown Hospital (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.downtownhospital.org/pages/3707/index.htm Rochester Regional Library Council. (2000). Western New York Suffragists: Elizabeth Blackwell. Retrieved from

http://www.winningthevote.org/eblackwell.htmlSoylent Communications. (2012). Elizabeth Blackwell. Retrieved from http://www.nndb.com/people/947/000162461/Trachtenberg, L. (2000). New York’s first “Lady doctor.” City Journal 10(1) Retrieved from http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_1_urbanities- new_yorks_firs.html