Emma+Willard+-+F08

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 * Emma Willard 1787-1870

Emma Willard was born in 1787, and was one of seventeen children. Her father, Samuel Hart was liberal and educated her as far as possible in that time period. After Emma began teaching herself geometry-it was thought females were incapable of learning- her father helped her through it and then began including her in discussions of philosophy. Emma taught at several girls academies during her late teens. While married to Dr. John Willard, also liberal about her intelligence, Emma would study the books of her oldest stepson who was attending Middlebury College, while taking care of the children. She began to realize just how closed out from educational opportunity women were. In 1812 Willard started a school for young women in her house where she taught higher subjects such as math that hadn’t really been introduced to women before then. Emma began creating “A Plan for Improving Female Education.” She was sure that this plan would be free of presumptions of intellectual equality with men because they would have ruined her chances for supporters. Her plan was not just a private academy but a publicly owned seminary that would be supervised by a board of public men. To get anywhere with this plan Emma knew that she needed to get the approval of men in public office. She decided to go to New York thinking that they would probably be the most liberal. With the approval of Governor Clinton, Mrs. Willard’s plan went on to be published by men such as President Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. In 1821 the Troy Female Seminary opened with Ninety girls enrolled. Willard was very focused on the “teaching of teaching” to girls who wanted to spread the movement. This made the Troy Female Seminary the first real teacher’s school in the United States. References: John Lord who spoke of Emma “ She demonstrated, and was one of the first to demonstrate, that there are no subjects which young men can grasp which cannot equally be mastered by young ladies."  Professor Amos Eaton who studied with Emma and they developed an admiring professional friendship.

"Biographical Overview." __Emma Willard School__. 2 Oct. 2008 http://www.emma.troy.ny.us/about/history/ehwillard/ehwillard.php. Lewis, Jone J. "Emma Willard Quotes." __Women's History__. 2 Oct. 2008 http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/emma_willard.htm.

"Willard, Emma." __Infoplease__. 2005. 2 Oct. 2008 .