Catharine Beecher

Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Catharine Beecher and I grew up in New York with my parents and sister. I am the daughter of Rev. Lyman Beecher, who from the start, placed an emphasis on education. But this was quite hard for me, being a girl. Now, I have devoted my life to women and expanding their educational oppurtunities. I started speaking out for women wen my younger sister Harriet Beecher Stowe and I published a book about guidance for women to maintain a financially stable home called The American Women's Home. I feel that women should be more involved in teaching and education. They are always involved in the "ornamental" activities such as piano and weaving while the young men and boys are getting educated. I have founded several academies for young women that focus on the physical, moral and intellectual development of the students. I have a vision that everyone should be educated, and will be someday. Women who do teach should recieve a more decent paying for doing this because they have a gentle nurturing and natural talent for teaching the children. All in all, I want to raise the status of American Women, just as they deserve it.