By Kristy McCaffrey
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| Emma Hart Willard |
Born in 1787, Emma Hart Willard was encouraged by her
farmer-father to read and think for herself. Emma was often included in family
discussions of politics, philosophy and mathematics. At the age of 15, she
enrolled in her first school in Berlin, Connecticut and progressed so quickly
that two years later she was teaching at the institution.
In 1807, Emma left Berlin and worked as a principal at the
Middlebury Female Seminary for two years. She was unimpressed, however, by the
material taught, so in 1814 she opened a boarding school for women in her own
home. She strove to improve the curriculum for girls, believing that women
could master topics such as mathematics and philosophy. This passion for
women’s education led her to fight for the first women’s school for higher
education. In 1819, her success inspired her to write A Plan for Improving Female Education, a pamphlet that she
presented to the New York Legislature. Her plan included a proposal for a women’s
seminary to be publicly funded just as men’s schools were. Emma didn’t receive
a response from the legislators, who believed women’s education to be contrary
to God’s will.
Willard finally received support from New York Governor
DeWitt Clinton, who invited her to open a school in his state. The Troy Female
Seminary opened in September 1821 for boarding and day students in Troy, New
York. It was the first school in the United States to offer higher education
for women. By 1831, the school had over 300 students enrolled.
The Troy Female Seminary was renamed the Emma Willard School
in 1895 and today still promotes her strong belief in women’s education.
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Kristy McCaffrey has been writing since she was very young, but it wasn’t until she was a stay-at-home mom that she considered becoming published. She’s the author of several historical western romances, all set in the American southwest. She lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, two chocolate labs, and whichever of their four teenaged children happen to be in residence.
Kristy,
ReplyDeleteThere are some western romance stories waiting to be written from this article. :-)
As a former female educator, I am thankful for Emma Hart Willard's perseverance toward opening opportunities for women to receive a higher education.
Kaye,
DeleteI agree. Actually, I did use her school in a recent story I wrote. It was backstory for the heroine. I think it's hard to appreciate what she did at the time. We take so much for granted today.
Amazing women who knew her calling and didn't give up. Thank you for sharing her story. Makes you want to know more. Doris
ReplyDeleteThanks Doris. So many of these ladies' accomplishments fall through the cracks, as you well know with the research you do. We do what we can to shine a light on it. :-)
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