U.S. Women, 1790-1890 (Spring 2007)
Wheaton College
Episodes
- Manners and Conduct in America during the 1850's
November, 1857
BRISTOL, Massachusetts
Education, WomenIn November of 1857, G. Holbrook of the Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts, submitted her article "The Jintlemanly Young Lady," to Rushlight. The article told the story of a young man named Patrick who gave up his seat for a young lady on a train ride. Commenting on this behavior, Holbrook wrote "The true lady and the true gentleman have many qualities in common; each should possess...
- We Much Prefer the Country Still
July 10, 1861
BRISTOL, Massachusetts
Women"Women don't like the country" was an article featured in the Rushlight, the literary magazine of Wheaton Female Seminary, on July 10, 1861. Writing about a lecture given at the school, the student author complained about the generalization the lecturer made concerning people who spend time in the country. She defended herself and other women in their love for nature by comparing the green country...
- What to do with a Seminary Education?
1877
BRISTOL, Massachusetts
Education, WomenIn 1877 "From Her Point of View" was published in Wheaton Female Seminary's literary magazine The Rushlight. The story depicted a young woman, "just out of school, and life with all its sorrows and joys awaiting her" sitting by a fire contemplating her future. The young woman was surrounded by "tokens of wealth" but she wished for something different. While her mother's spirit looked down over...
- City or Country Education?
June, 1860
BRISTOL, Massachusetts
Education, Women"Ought girls to receive a country or city school education?," asked the anonymous author of an essay published in the June 1880 issue of Rushlight, the literary magazine of Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts. The author explained that people thought a city school education was better because "one has opportunities for mingling with a great number of people, and attending more fine...
- All She Wanted Was Elbow Room
July 10, 1861
BRISTOL, Massachusetts
Race-Relations, Slavery, War, Women"All She Wanted Was Elbow Room" was published in The Rushlight, a student literary magazine of Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton Massachusetts in 1861. The main characters Fannie North and Nancy South had extremely different views but the one characteristic they shared was their desire for change. The external image of two girls represented the divisive issue of slavery opinions in the north. Fannie...
- A Morning in the Kitchen
December 1, 1886
BRISTOL, Massachusetts
Economy, WomenIn December of 1886, "A Morning in the Kitchen" was published in Rushlight, the magazine of Wheaton Female Seminary in Norton, Massachusetts. In this essay our unknown author provided accounts from a day without her cook. She began her essay by remarking on the morning outside and then discussed the tasks of making and cleaning up after a meal. She stated that men's genius was wasted on other...