Can you imagine what it would be like if no matter how good you were in school you still weren't allowed to go to college, just because you were a girl? Some women decided they didn't like this, so they decided to start their own colleges just for women.

Mary Lyon was one of those women. She was born on a farm in 1797. Her father died when she was five, leaving her mother to raise the children and tend the farm. Mary got good grades in school, even though she also had to work really hard at home. She loved learning so much she became a teacher.

Mary wanted girls to be able to go to college, so she started the first women's college in America. While she was trying to raise the money she needed, a lot of people laughed at her. They thought it was a waste for women to go to school. Still, she kept trying until she was able to start a school for women. It was called Mount Holyoke.

Life in college wasn't easy. Everyone got up at 5 am. The students cooked, cleaned, and learned in the classroom. They had to work so that they wouldn't have to pay too much to go to the school. Still, lots of women wanted to attend Mount Holyoke.

Soon, a lot more women's colleges were opened. Schools like Smith, Vassar, and Radcliff started because so many women wanted to go to college. Mary Lyon and Mount Holyoke started it all.

Now, girls can go to school for as long as they want. They can wear pants if they want to, and when they're old enough they can vote. How long do you think it will be before we have a woman president?

Teddy

Please email me at: teddy@ustrek.org