How Did Benjamin Rush's Impact On Thoughts Upon Female Education

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Benjamin Rush was a Pennsylvanian, born in 1745 and died in 1813. He was a Founding Father, physician, leading reformer, and had signed the Declaration of Independence. He firmly spoke out against slavery and promoted capital punishments. He wanted education to be available for all and firmly believed public education for all. He didn’t believe in full equality for women, but this was a good start. The document that is explained below are excerpts from a speech in 1787 titled Thoughts Upon Female Education. He spoke about two main reasons he had behind promoting American female education that were Republican Motherhood and there were many economic opportunities for American women that couldn’t be found in European and British societies. Republican …show more content…

Educated women would hold very intellectual conversation with others, her husband, and demonstrate proper and sophisticated speech to her children. This would increase the value of families more and Rush wanted more emphasis on the English language and get rid of European and Britain fashion and languages from American society all together so that America would stand out in the world. There was an article online that mentioned that women before Republican Motherhood and before the public education, that the only conversation one would have the women were very submissive, meek, and all women discussed fashions from Europe instead of focusing on American cultures. Rush, in Section VII, he spoke about the attention of American ladies should focus on reading history, poetry, moral essays, and keeping away from reading novel that represent true life, however not in America. His sly nudge at women from other countries who read novels that overstep the modesty of nature is not something he wants in American society. Section II speaks for a educated women would be the guardian of her husband's property and that is her duty in a