A plan for improving female education by Emma Willard
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A plan for improving female education by Emma Willard is a public address and educational treatise written in the early 19th century. It argues for a publicly supported system of female seminaries and a structured curriculum suited to women’s moral, intellectual, and domestic roles, with the broader aim of strengthening families and the republic. The book begins by exposing the defects of private boarding schools for girls—instability, scant resources, weak governance, poor
classification, and a focus on showy accomplishments over solid learning. It then states guiding principles: education should develop character and prepare students for probable duties. Next comes a concrete plan for a permanent seminary with proper buildings, a library and apparatus, a responsible board, and instruction in four areas: religious and moral formation; literary studies (including the mind and natural philosophy); domestic management elevated to a systematic art of housewifery; and select ornamental pursuits such as drawing, music, fine penmanship, and graceful movement through supervised dancing. The scheme sets entrance standards, clear courses, a multi‑year program with examinations and certificates, and public exhibitions in the arts. Finally, the book argues that educated women—especially as mothers and as teachers in common schools—shape future citizens, restrain luxury, uphold republican manners, and thus help preserve the nation, concluding with a direct appeal for legislative endowment to launch a model institution. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Willard, Emma, 1787-1870 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 19011143 |
| Title | A plan for improving female education |
| Original Publication | Middlebury: Middlebury College, 1918. |
| Note | With reproduction of original title page: An address to the public; particularly to the members of the Legislature of New York, proposing a plan for improving female education. By Emma Willard. Second edition. Middlebury, Printed by J.W. Copeland, 1819. |
| Credits | Daniel Lowe and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | LC: Education: Special aspects of education |
| Subject | Women -- Education |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 78806 |
| Release Date | Jun 2, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 323 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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