1. Mr. Mercer and the Mercer Girls By: Madeline Williams-Derry

2. The Plan Asa Mercer and his “girls” were very important to the growth of Seattle. Mr. Mercer was a U.W. president and one of Seattle’s many bachelors. In 1864, Asa came up with a solution for Seattle’s gender imbalance. He was aware that because of the Civil war, there were many widows and unmarried women on the East Coast. Mercer’s plan was to convince white women of good moral standing to come to Seattle from the East Coast to become teachers and brides.

3. Mr. Mercer thinking

4. The Trips In 1864,Asa took his first voyage to the East Coast. He returned that year with 11 “Mercer Girls” In 1865,he went on his second trip with a goal of recruiting 700 maidens. However, due to bad publicity in the New York Herald, many women dropped out.Here, sources disagree, some saying Mercer returned in 1866 with 34 “girls”, and some agreeing about the date, but arguing that he recruited 36 unmarried women and 10 widows.

5. The Mercer Girls waiting for a boat

6. Asa Mercer

7. The Summary People wonder why this was such a big deal. Well, without American women, Seattle might have remained a small, wild boomtown with no balance between men and women.There would be no civilization or reproduction in Seattle. Overall, as a book puts it, the Mercer Girls brought culture and education to the Puget Sound area.

8. Bibliography Crowley, Walt, and Priscilla A. Long. History Link's Seattle & King County Timeline. Seattle, Wash.: History Link in Association with the University of Washington, 2001. Print. Keniston-Longrie, Joy. Seattle's Pioneer Square. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2009. Print. Sundquist, Mark. Seattle. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2010. Print. Warren, James R., and William R. McCoy. Highlights of Seattle's History. Seattle, Wash.: Historical Society of Seattle and King County, 1982. Print. MOHAI Museum of History And Industry