The Importance Of Frances Willard The Gilded Age

The Importance of Frances Willard Throughout the course of the Gilded Age, several influential figures rose impacting the economic, political, and cultural status of the United States. One of the most important figures of this time period was Frances Willard, born in New York in 1839. Francis Willard held several important positions, exceeding as an educator, a women’s suffragist, and a co-founder of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (Britannica). The fact that Frances Willard held these positions indicates that she contributed towards the improvement of the United States, specifically by educating Women, fighting for women’s rights, and fighting for prohibition. These key roles were complementary to the issues associated with the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"How long I gazed upon that magical creation I can not tell, but it was imprinted so deeply on my memory that I could not forget the incident, and looking long and steadily upon the copy she had given me, I followed it so well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Willard 74). Although this was a simple action, it was one of Frances Willard’s most important childhood events that sparked her interest in learning and the field of education. Throughout the duration of Frances Willard’s childhood, she was very curious and optimistic about attending. â€Å"Where could we have the academy? Who would be the teacher? These were vital questions to Mary and me, for mother was not more anxious for our education than were we ourselves† (Willard 75). Contradictory to Victorian standards, at eighteen years of age,Frances Willard wrote that she aspired to be a teacher in one of her journal entries. â€Å"I once thought I should like to be Victoria s maid of honor-since I thought I d be a resident of [...... ]- next I wanted to be an artist next again I wished to be a hunter but returning from these deviations I ve decided to be a Music Teacher simply that nothing more† (Willard Jan . 1 1855). Rather than directing her life on a path towards becoming a maid, Willard decided to challenge these common standards and expectations assigned to women and carry out her own aspirations. These ideas were also emphasized in an article by Henry and IsabelShow MoreRelated The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Creation of a Politicized Female Reform Culture, 1880-1884.5069 Words   |  21 Pagesmassive petition asking that Illinois women be granted the right to vote. The architect of this ambitious petition campaign, which resulted in 180,000 signatures of support, was Frances Willard, then president of the Illinois WCTU. In using her position as a prominent WCTU leader to agitate for enfranchisement of women, Willard went against the express commands of the National WCTU and its president, Annie Wittenmeyer, who had made clear only one year earlier that the WCTU would not involve itself inRead MoreAmerican Revolution and Study Guide Essay example5377 Word s   |  22 PagesPredestination Louis XIV Boston Massacre Henry VIII Salutary neglect George Washington Stamp Act Elizabeth I Massachusetts Bay Colony Marquis de Montcalm Hessians Navigation Laws 7 Years War Mercantilism New France House of Burgesses Glorious Revolution Royal Charter Quakers Proclamation of 1763 Thomas Paine Squatter Mayflower Compact Edict of Nantes Horatio Gates Primogeniture Huguenots John Hancock Thomas Jefferson