Women in American History Pioneers and Reformers

Women on the Frontier In boomtowns, towns that grew up around mining sites, many women opened up businesses, worked as laundresses, cooks, dance-hall girls, and even founded schools and churches Women who lived on farms did the same work as men, but they also cared for the children, sewed clothing, made candles, and cooked the food

Some of the Ladies Annie Oakley: was known as the “Best Shot of the West,” and embodied the spirit of women’s independence Calamity Jane: noted for her bravery as a scout and involvement in a number of military campaigns against the Indians

More Famous Ladies Laura Ingalls Wilder: Pioneer, teacher, journalist, & more importantly, author. –Her best known book is Little House on the Prairie –In her books, she described life on the frontier and about how America had changed and was an inspiration for women all over America Where she lived as a child

Lady of Reform Annie Bidwell: Pioneer who was known for her contributions to social causes, such as women’s suffrage, temperance, and education. She was very concerned about the future of Native Americans and wanted to provide them with education

Freed from Slavery Bridget “Biddy” Mason: declared free from slavery in California, 1856, she purchased a home, bought and sold property in Los Angeles, and devoted her life to helping others. She visited inmates, and provided food and shelter to the poor

Women’s Suffrage Women who worked for the freedom of slaves, now fought for suffrage and women's rights –Lucretia Mott, a Quaker reformer, called for temperance (the outlawing of alcohol), peace, workers’ rights, and abolition (the freeing of slaves) –Elizabeth Cady Stanton, another abolitionist teamed up with Mott and organized the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The Seneca Falls Convention: modeled after the Declaration of Independence, a convention of over 200 prominent women met to argue for and win gender equality or equal rights with men. They demanded to be given the same opportunities as men, especially suffrage, or, the right to vote

Women’s Rights Susan B. Anthony called for equal pay for women, college training for girls, and temperance. Along with Stanton, Anthony led the women’s rights movement for over 50 years Margaret Fuller, a very influential transcendental writer, brought women’s issues to the forefront of American society during this time

Early Reform And Reformers New Ideas about Religion and philosophy inspired reformers to make change in education and through literature

Utopias Many reformers wanted to create Utopias, communities based on the idea of a perfect society Robert Owen establishes New Harmony, Indiana, a village dedicated to cooperation among all inhabitants Few of the communities lasted longer than a couple of years

The Second Great Awakening In revivals, preachers urged their followers to renew their religious convictions Church membership increased and many were inspired to do missionary work and take part in reform movements

The Temperance Movement Religious leaders called for temperance, which called for the elimination of alcohol. They blamed alcohol for the break up of families and crime

Reform in Education Horace Mann, leader of educational reform, led the effort which founded the nation’s first state supported normal school, a school for training high school graduates as teachers What Americans wanted: free public education, trained teachers, and required education for children. Education was not expected for females. There role was to become a wife and mother.

Higher Education New colleges were mostly founded by religious institutions. Most colleges admitted men only, but some admitted women and African-Americans. Oberlin College of Ohio, 1833, accepted women and African-Americans. Mount Holyoke, 1837, is the nation’s first permanent women’s college

Special Needs Reform People became more sensitive to people with disabilities as schools opened for the deaf, visually impaired, and the mentally ill. Dorothea Dix, a schoolteacher, found prisoners chained to walls with little or no clothing, in unheated cells, who were mentally ill. She made it her mission to educate the public about the mentally ill. She also helped found the first public mental hospital.

Reform through Literature –Transcendentalists placed importance on the connections between humans and nature. They protested social evils, such as slavery –Important authors: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller –Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote poetry that exemplified the transcendentalist movement –Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the best selling book of the 1800s, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which is about the wrongs of the practice of slavery.