The History of the Woman's Club Movement in America (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The History of the Woman's Club Movement in AmericaThe priceless boon that America gave to women was freedom and Opportunity. Up to the last half, it might be said quarter, of the present century, small provision had been made for the education and training of the woman beyond the rudimentary lines. As late as the early seventies no college training was possible to a girl in New York city and many other parts of this country, except under precisely the same conditions as those which existed in Russia; viz., by the special grace of some professor endowed with the human spirit, such as Professor Newberry of Columbia in New York or Dr. Gruber of St. Petersburg.The club, from the beginning, accomplished two purposes. It provided a means for the acquisition of knowledge, the training of power; and the work ing of a spirit of human solidarity, a comprehension of the continuity of life its universal character and interdependence. It is not too much to say that this aspect changed the Whole point of View of the woman who came under its influence. Her ideals were elevated, her trust in eternal goodness and its purpose strengthened, and her own possibilities as a social and intellectual force, brought out and gradually moulded into form.The acceptance of the club as a means of education and development was almost simultaneous throughout the country. Everywhere groups of women were found who eagerly seized the idea and shaped it according to' their own conditions and needs. Everywhere also the path has broadened, and larger groups of women have and are working with the same eager enthusiasm toward the still larger life, the greater unity, the all in all.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.… (more)