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Issue 2.5

The Analysis of Education and Participation in Antebellum Society for Women

The Antebellum period was a time in American history that is generally considered to be

the period before the civil war and after the War of 1812 (HistoryNet). During this period, there

were great advances in technology, religion, and social movements. These advances extended to

women in the period and it provided the opportunity for women to further their education.

Author Mary Kelley indicated that educational opportunities began the movement for women to

expand beyond their expected role in the household. With a proper education, women were now

in new career fields such as writing and editing. While in these roles, women were able to

exercise critical thinking and hence influence the public sphere. This is Kelley’s main argument,

but she also provides valuable exerts from the time period to strengthen her statements. On the

contrary, author Lucia McMahon would disagree; women remained limited in society. She

believes that the educational expansion did not affect the political order and that a male hierarchy

was still at large. Similar to Kelley, McMahon utilizes exerts from the Antebellum period to

bring her statements to life. After reading both arguments, the authors both provided many valid

points. With this being said, one must truly explore the evidence provided to theorize a

conclusion.

Kelley initiates her argument by referencing an essay published at Hartford Female

Seminary in the 1820s; there was an anonymous author who wanted to share this idea of an

“Enigma”. The author wrote items such as “a good for nothing weed growing out of doors,” and

“would be glad to rid of me.” (Taking Sides) This draws out questions such as who the writer or

editor was and what was the purpose behind “Enigma”. To this, more complex questions arose
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such as did the author’s subject symbolize the promise of an advanced education for women and

did that education challenge conventional gender relations (Taking Sides). Kelly sets the tone

and prepares a stage for the rest of her arguments from here on out. Next, Kelley reveals the

identity and delivers some background the anonymous writer. One must consider, Harriet

Beecher Stowe. Her parents Lyman and Roxana Foote Beecher did not have much economical

capital, but they were able to conjure social capital. Lyman bartered and exchanged his pastoral

services for the enrollment of his daughter at Litchfield Female Academy. Furthermore, Harriet’s

education did not end there, she attended Sarah Pierce’s Academy and Hartford Female

Seminary. As time went on women were becoming more educated with various backgrounds.

Kelley states “although there were a host of variables that shaped the decisions individual

families made, certain patterns can be discerned. The author was referring to the converging

market revolution that was pushed by various factors such as innovations in transportation,

communication, and capital accumulation. As a result, more men entered professions such as

lawyers, doctors or ministry; this leaves women with new opportunities such as writers or

editors. Kelley then adds more detail pertaining to women’s place in civil society. She states “ In

the decades before the Civil War, the proportion of women in the classroom was higher in urban

than in rural America, but by 1860, women constituted between 65 and 85% of the teachers in

the towns and cities of every region. With more educated women, more pro feminine ideals were

influencing poetry, conversational essays, and fiction. This educated sphere of women can now

apply their knowledge into social and political spaces. In all, women during this time period still

were not equal to men, but surely there was a transformation in the right direction for women

during the Antebellum period.

On the contrary, but in a similar fashion, the author Lucia McMahon also begins by

quoting from a essay from the time period. The essay was titled, “Plan for the Emancipation of

the Female Sex”; it stated that women “would willingly relinquish that authority which they have

so long enjoyed by courtesy, in order to appear formally on the theatre of the world merely as

equals of man”. In a sense by law, women could petition for their emancipation, but no man

would allow women this privilege. Furthermore, the anonymous male author suggests that

women in college should not emulate their professors but be taught a curriculum of domestic

roles. To give insight, McMahon provided additional details like when this essay was published;

McMahon states “By 1802, when this essay was published, scores of female academies were

being established throughout the young nation, yet the idea of a college for women was still

outside serious consideration” (Taking Sides), This shows the general viewpoint of men in

society during the time period. Women even had to subject to calling their learning institutions.

McMahon quotes a woman educator by the name of Emma Willard, “It would never do to call it

a ‘college’ for the proposal to send young ladies to college would strike everyone as an

absurdity”. This portrays how women were still not able to surpass the male driven ideologies.

Even though women were now more educated than ever before, these male ideologies kept

women from participating in pubic spaces. The general public held on to the belief that men and

women were dissimilar; physically women apparently was not fitted for political equality.

Furthermore, McMahon would provide quotes from discussions at the time period that

challenges not only the capacity of their intellect, but how an educated woman could affect the

gender role standards. One author at the time stated that “education is always wrong, which

raises a woman above the duties of her station”. With exerts like this the conclusion is clear,

women were educated to serve early republican society.

Overall, Mary Kelley provides a strong argument regarding women’s participation in

America’s Republic. The use of exerts from the time period not only sets a stage but provides a

more immerse reading experience. Also, by referencing the story of actual women and their

perseverance allows a reader to develop an understanding of everyday women. Kelly also

provides historical insight of the time with the support of statistics as well. For example, when

she quoted the percentage of women as teachers by the 1860’s. The author’s weak points would

include the male experience at the time. If she would have included the ideals of men during that

time and how they perceived the changes, that would have assisted in providing a more powerful

argument. In the end, the author organizes her argument well, by introducing a situational

experience, civil society, and remaining civilized or becoming so pertaining to the liberties of

women.

Lucia McMahon also provides a valid argument pertaining to the expansion of women in

the public space. Her overall essay appears to be more extensive and draws from numerous

sources. She provides powerful exerts from both males and females, this portrays the societal

ideology of the time. McMahon does this very well and persuades the reader to believe that

maybe women were granted an education to better serve men. Women were not even allowed to

call there educational institutions colleges, but rather a seminary. McMahon even gave instances

where there were terms that degraded women who were too into reading. Common terms must

suggest that it was used in a common place. For example, the author explains the term “coquette”

and “pendant”. A pendant is women who is too occupied in studies and neglects the social

expectations of her and a coquette is a woman who does use her education for productivity.

These little exerts provide so much insight of what the realities of the time was like. With all of

the valid writings the author included, the essay itself can be better organized though. Her essay
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is broken down into segments that include The Female Mind Shall Equal Prove, Knowledge,

Combined with Beauty, The Arts of Coquetry, On an Equal Footing, and Education, Equality, or

Difference. Certain information provided can be very concise, but statements can be too abstract

for general comprehension. In general though, McMahon raises the question, were women

merely attempting to obtaining the equality of a man? Such a question can still be heard today

according to the author. This challenges social inequalities of the modern day and forces the

reader to think about various injustices of modern day. Overall, McMahon’s work was very

insightful and provided a lot of text.

In my opinion, both authors provide arguments that are worth listening too. They were

both immersive and in tune with their perspectives. Both essays also used many valid claims to

prove their historical significance, but only one author persuaded me in her writings. Kelley

believes that educated women were rising into the public space and uses a more direct approach

compared to the extensive work of McMahon. Kelley was easier to follow and more organized;

as a reader I find this helpful. Not only was her argument strong it was not detracting and

everything she stated served a purpose. Her perspective also appears to be most correct because

women’s rights have progressed drastically. As time went on women demanded equality and

now in modern time we have broke almost all social barriers. On the contrary, McMahon would

disagree about women’s participation in the Antebellum period. Her arguments provided such

valuable insight of what the public thought at the time, but in regard to her format and extensive

format, it appeared unorganized. This I would say detracts power from her standpoint, but does

not interfere with the value from the information she provided.

In conclusion, both authors provided a very head to head argument. They also use similar

tactics to beef up their statements. I took in valid information from both perspectives, but have
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ultimately concluded that educational opportunities for women in the new nation significantly

expanded their participation in Antebellum society. Women were filling vital social roles such as

teachers, writers, and editors. Fulfilling these roles meant that they had influence in the public

space. As writers women wrote vital articles, as editors they controlled what was published, and

as teachers they influenced the minds of young men and women of their time. Education

provided women a voice, even if compared to modern times it was a whisper; it engaged a

revolution in women’s rights. In addition, it must taken into consideration that there was a male

hierarchy present during the period. There had to be a system where someone had to carry out

the role of housekeeping and child rearing, so I can see how there was a conflict there, but this

challenged gender roles. I believe that challenging the norm was a step in the right direction.

Kelley suggest this idea by stating “ In puzzling through the challenge to the prevailing system of

gender relations entailed in that education, they tacked back and forth between personal

aspiration and social constraint” (Taking Sides). The growth of women participating in society

was complex, but after influencing local, regional, and nation stages, women were able to voice

their ideas in public opinions. Maybe the intention of educating women was meant to better serve

men, but as one is educated they become more enlighten. Women proudly took their education

and changed the new nation forever.

Works Cited
“Antebellum Period.” HistoryNet, World History Group, www.historynet.com/antebellum-
period.
Madaras, Larry, and James M. SoRelle. Taking Sides. McGraw-Hill Education, 2016.