© 2012 Christy K Robinson
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When
asked how much educated men were superior to those
uneducated, Aristotle answered,
'As much as the
living are to the dead.'
~Diogenes Laetius
|
1645--Lady Mary Fairfax, with her tutor. Her father, General Thomas Fairfax, was third Baron Fairfax of Cameron. |
Stunning statements about education have come to light in
the last few election cycles. One presidential candidate said that America needs “
a
leader, not a reader.” Another said that the desire to educate more Americans
is
snobbery
and "There are good, decent men and women … that aren't taught by some
liberal college professor, trying to indoctrinate them. Oh I understand why he
wants [you] to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image." A radio
commentator who flunked out of college after two semesters said that a female “authorette”
with a recent BA degree and a journalism award for her first book was "
over-educated."
At the state level, we see groups rewriting history to make it align with a rosy utopia that is itself taken out of context or simply invented. And state legislators and governors have slashed public education funding by the billions, and/or diverted public education money to for-profit charter schools.
In the 1600s, higher education was prized, and boys and
young men were trained in science, mathematics, literature, history, religion, and liberal
arts. After the home-schooled Anne Hutchinson defended herself so eloquently and
bested the
magistrates in debates at trial in November 1637 and March 1638, Massachusetts established Harvard College
to train its teen boys to the ministry.
New England women guided
the household, but remained subject to their fathers’ or husbands’ authority.
Men believed women had the mental capacity to manage large households, many
children and servants, and often a cottage industry like brewing beer,
seamstressing, or cooking, but apparently not to be formally-educated women who
discussed theology, as did Anne Hutchinson and later, Mary Dyer.
|
1630--Old Woman Reading a Bible, Gerrit Dou, Netherlands |
A few women were well-educated from their early years in England, as a
result of tutors or fathers guiding their learning. They were the exception,
not the rule. Most Puritan women could read well enough to get through their
Bibles, but that was all. In the first decades of colonial New
England, schools were only for boys.
Ann Yale Hopkins, the wife of
Governor Edward Hopkins
of Connecticut,
was believed to have gone insane not because she inherited madness or was
driven to it by illness, injury, fear, or unbearable hardships of
first-generation settlers, but because of her scholarship and the resulting mental
exhaustion.
Massachusetts Bay Gov. John Winthrop wrote:
“Mr.
Hopkins, the governor of Hartford upon Connecticut, came to Boston, and brought
his wife with him, (a godly young woman, and of special parts,) who was fallen
into a sad infirmity, the loss of her understanding and reason, which had been
growing upon her divers years, by occasion of her giving herself wholly to reading and writing, and had written many
books. Her husband, being very loving and tender of her, was loath to grieve
her [about spending too much time in reading and writing]; but he saw his error,
when it was too late. For if she had
attended her household affairs, and such things as belong to women, and not
gone out of her way and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men,
whose minds are stronger, etc., she had kept her wits, and might have improved
them usefully and honorably in the place God had set her.” ~John Winthrop's
Journal
|
The Hopkins' house |
Edward Hopkins (born 1600) and Ann Yale Hopkins (born 1615)
were among the co-founders of New Haven, Connecticut in 1637, but after only two months, moved to Hartford and set up a 120-acre farm and merchant trade
with Turkey.
Edward was elected governor or deputy governor for many one-year terms. The
house they lived in from 1640, still exists on Popieluszko Court in Hartford.
It was at that time seen as a judgment from God that a woman
was barren. Ann had no children, which was a huge disappointment to Puritans. As
Winthrop wrote,
“such things as belong to women," and "the place God had set her.” Coming from an education-minded family, reading
and writing may have been a consolation to her, just as people in our day sometimes
bury themselves in a creative pursuit or work. Ann exhibited signs of insanity
beginning at about age 32 in 1647. Because men disapproved of women exhausting
their brains, it is highly probable that her books and writing materials were
removed from her at that time.
Interestingly, her husband survived an Indian assassination
attempt in 1646, the year before Ann’s illness was observed. It’s possible that
fear helped push Ann past the threshold of reason.
Edward and Ann returned to England permanently in 1652,
perhaps because of Ann’s condition. He was engaged by Parliament as a naval
commissioner (at the same time Sir Henry Vane was on the ruling council), but died in 1657. Ann was cared for until her death by her Yale
relatives in north Wales.
Edward's large bequests helped fund a New Haven, Connecticut
school named in his honor. ‘
Hopkins
is the third oldest independent school in the country. The School has been
operating since 1660, and has retained as its historic mission, ‘the breeding
up of hopeful youths...for the publique service of the country in future
tymes.’ Congressmen, doctors, lawyers, Yale Presidents, and civil activists all
had their start at Hopkins and are the
embodiment of Hopkins'
mission,” says a
fundraising
site. Another generous bequest by Edward Hopkins benefited Harvard College
in Boston.
In the next generation,
Elihu Yale, born in Boston
in 1649, was one of the major benefactors of Yale University.
Elihu is entombed at Wrexham, Wales,
where there’s a Yale
College, founded in 1950.
Both the Welsh college and Connecticut
university were named after Elihu Yale, Ann’s nephew. Wrexham's Yale College changed its name to Coleg Cambria, after the university threatened to sue.
|
A French asylum |
Other New England women
suffered mental illness, which was sometimes charged as witchcraft or being
possessed by Satan. Several women killed or attempted murder on their children,
and were hanged. One woman flung her child into a pond, and when the toddler
crawled out and returned to its mother, the mother threw her child back in the
water. A witness saved the child and reported the mother, who said that she
wanted to spare her child from “further misery.” Yet another delusional mother
wanted to save her baby from going to hell, so she killed it. The magistrates
granted latitude to people who committed lesser crimes but were known to be seriously
disturbed, but when it came to murder, the insane were executed for that crime. There were no asylums, but family members or hired help became caretakers of the insane.
That Ann Yale Hopkins was the wife and then widow of a
wealthy man who was a governor probably lent to her long life in the care of
family members instead of an insane asylum. Anne lived until 1698, and died at
age 83, near Wrexham, Wales.
Knowing the love of learning in the Yale family, perhaps Ann was permitted to
read during times of lucidity, or be read to.
We can thank our 17th-century forefathers and foremothers for their deep
commitment and personal sacrifices to improving their own minds and the minds
of their children, and setting a tradition of pursuit of first-class education.
Because they knew that with education comes prosperity in virtually every aspect
of human life.
The foundation of
every state is the education of its youth.
~Diogenes Laetius
Christy K Robinson
ReplyDeleteSome have decided that educated people are snobs, "elite," and God-forsaken liberals. Did reading drive a Yale woman insane? Get your HOT topics here!
Susan Thomas Thompson
If that were the case they would have condemned me for being a lunatic...and that point is debatable these days :)
Gina LoCicero-Froese
The historical connections are so interesting, Christy. Loved the blog!
Patty Nit
This is a great blog post about women and education in the 1600's. Be thankful we're allowed to read! Really great post, Christy!
Patti O'Sullivan
"For if she had attended her household affairs, and such things as belong to women, and not gone out of her way and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men, whose minds are stronger, etc., she had kept her wits, and might have improved them usefully and honorably in the place God had set her.” ~John Winthrop's Journal
Great blog post, Christy! So sad though that Winthrop's 17th-century beliefs still are with us today.
Christy K Robinson
Thank you! I find it a puzzle that the leaders of the 17th century desired and married intelligent women who could read and write (writing not always being linked with reading), and they educated their daughters privately. It was seen as a status symbol and a tribute to her husband's status if a woman had some facility in education and financial management. AND YET--maybe they didn't make a connection between women and society. Maybe they thought THEIR wife was the exception to all other women, like the racially prejudiced make exceptions for a few people they admire while marginalizing the rest.
John Winthrop's backward beliefs about the education of women were not held by all of the Puritan leaders of the Massachusetts Bay. Assistant Governor Thomas Dudley is the father of prominent poet Anne Bradstreet. Dudley is said to have taken an active had to see that his four daughters were well educated.
DeleteThat's true, J.A. Frye. Margaret Winthrop was able to read and write, and I believe some of the Bay's female "founders" were educated by their parents or tutors. It would be very interesting to know what sort of books women read. In England, there were books on midwifery, recipe/remedy/DIY books, and herbals (garden cultivation and the use of plants). All of that knowledge was essential to forming a new civilization in the wilderness.
DeleteIt is accepted that Thomas Dudley educated his daughter Anne and she had been well tutored in literature and history in Greek, Latin, French, Hebrew, as well as English. On July 10, 1666, her North Andover family home burned in a fire that left the Bradstreets homeless and with few personal belongings. Of course the library of Simon and Anne Dudley Bradstreet was lost in the fire, but there is no doubt quite extensive.
DeleteA literate wife was supposed to reflect glory upon her husband, not put him in the shade. Did any of Ann Yale Hopkins' writings survive? It would be interesting to read them, especially compared with her husbands'. Superb post, Christy!
ReplyDeleteWhen Herman Cain said a "leader not a reader" - it is clear even to a simpleton that he was referring to Obama's constant reading of the teleprompter; reading words he undoubtedly did not write. I think it is extremely apparent that Obama was not capable of the job of president, nor was he educated properly to hold it. Regardless, spinning the meaning of "reader" to indicate education instead of blind reading shows your own lack of comprehension. The fact that our colleges and universities are largely liberal, i.e. socialist or Marxist in their education, is also indisputable.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Mark. You can't equate "liberal" with Marxist and socialist without showing your own bias.
DeleteAs a sub-simpleton (apparently), I'm not advocating liberalism (though I earned a degree at a liberal arts college of a Christian university), and worked for two universities, but I *am* highly critical of those who criticize and deride higher education. Universities are suspect to many conservatives because the best schools teach students critical thinking and to look at a subject from several angles, which is the polar opposite of "indoctrination." Conservatives tend to prefer a course that stays inside preset parameters. For that, you have Bob Jones, Oral Roberts, Liberty and others. Enjoy to your heart's content.