The Beginning of Education
Many people do not think that women should have any education, and that if they knew how to read they didn't know how to write. Men in the eighteenth century were not in favor of having women receive education because then they might become unbalanced and pose a threat to their religion. According to (Smith, 2008)1females were taught domestic art, and how to run a household, and some scholars debated on whether or not they should learn how to read and write. But a study done to see how often women and men sign their names, indicated that women were less likely to sign their names but it did not mean they could not read.
Puritans believed that women should be able to read so they could read and interpret the Bible, rather than relying on other people to read it for them. Women were not allowed at this time to attend university so they had to consult with ministers, so they were able to understand, and not lose their faith or come up with wicked beliefs.
The education for girls should start from their childhood in preparation for their future duties (Department of Education, 1868)2Women can grow up to be the future and without having an education they won't be prepared for what is to come. Women need to be trained for society and if uneducated they will be nothing, education makes values and holds virtue. Therefore leads to the argument that women who are educated will have impacted their lives, and bring opportunities for women in education today.
1Smith, Merril D., ed. Women's Roles in Seventeenth-Century America. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2008. Accessed September 23, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.
2Fairchild, James Harris. Education of girls: Institutions and suggestions. Washington, D.C, 1868.