Nineteenth Century Reform

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how since the beginning of the nineteenth century, the existence of slavery and the subverting of women's rights, both symbolic of fundamental inequality among all citizens within society, have urged American reformers to constantly call for social changes. It examines how these changes were heavily influenced by education reform, immense immigration, industrialization, urbanization and further development of national identity throughout the century. It analyzes how with the abolition of slavery in 1860s, the nature of the need for social changes, however, transformed itself from a want of natural right to that of political equality as new identities as free men and women emerged during the second half of the nineteenth century.

From the Paper:

"The repression of women had reached an all time high by the nineteenth century. Reformers called out for changes. The first step to the liberation of women took place at the level of education. The first all female college, Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, was established in 1832 by Mary Lyon. Other female colleges were founded in the years to follow, such as Elmira Female College in 1855 and Vassar Female College in 1865 both located in New York. Co-ed colleges began with Oberlin Collegiate Institute, Ohio in 1833, Antioch College, Ohio in 1853, State University of Utah in 1850, State University of Iowa in 1855, and the State University of Washington in 1861."

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