Why was Emma Hart Willard Important?
Emma Hart Willard had a passion for educating women. She believed in the ideas that a woman can and should be given the chance to attain a higher education. Her determination and boldness made her an important figure in women's education.
Emma Hart Willard was important because...
Emma Hart Willard was important because...
- She began teaching at Berlin Academy at the age of fifteen years old
- She became a Principal for Women's Academy at the age of twenty-years-old
- She opened a school in her Middlebury home to educate women within the town limits in 1812
- She published and distributed "A Plan for Improving Female Education" proposal to government agencies, former and current Presidents (whom also offered their support), and towns people
- She opened Troy Female Seminary, (Emma Willard School), in 1821, she was also the first woman to open an official education academy that focused only on educating women
- She published many articles on the topic of education
- She wrote textbooks on history and geography and poems
- She wrote "Journal and Letters from France and Great Britain" and used the finances to help fund female seminaries in Greece, where the education of women was also controversial
How she help...
Emma Hart Willard helped women World Wide! She wanted women to experience the excitement of receiving an education,
and she also wanted them to become familiar with areas of studies that were only taught to men. By opening Troy Female Seminary, (Emma Willard School), Emma helped ninety female students within its first year of operation. She contributed to society in the 19th century by building a stable foundation for her school with the confidence that young girls and women needed to be educated to become the best in the society. Her "Journal and Letters from France and Great Britain" helped financed seminaries for women in Greece. She helped gain supporters by becoming a strong believer in women's suffrage and equal rights among both men and women. Her school and liberal ideas would pave the way for women to attain a higher education and equal rights; Elizabeth Cady Stanton being one of those young women and future women suffrage activist.