37 Facts About Catharine Beecher

Catharine Esther Beecher was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on female education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's education.

Catharine Beecher published the advice manual The American Woman's Home with her sister Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1869.

Catharine Beecher was educated at home until she was ten years old, when she was sent to Litchfield Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut, where she was taught the limited curriculum available to young women.

Catharine Beecher taught herself subjects not commonly offered to women, including math, Latin, and philosophy.

Catharine Beecher took over the domestic duties of her household at the age of 16, following her mother's death.

Catharine Beecher became a teacher in 1821 at a school in New Haven, Connecticut.

Catharine Beecher was constantly making experiments, and practicing them upon the girls, weighing all their food before they ate it, holding that Graham flour and the Graham diet were better for them than richer food.

Catharine Beecher accepted the invitation, and the excellent dinner changed her views.

In 1829 and 1830, Catharine Beecher led a women's movement to protest the Indian Removal Bill of President Andrew Jackson.

In 1832, Catharine Beecher moved with her father to Walnut Hill, Cincinnati to campaign for more schools and teachers in the frontier.

Catharine Beecher then devoted herself to the development of an extended plan for the physical, social, intellectual, and moral education of women, to be promoted through a national board.

In 1841 Catharine Beecher published A Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School, a book that discussed the underestimated importance of women's roles in society.

Catharine Beecher was a strong advocate of the inclusion of daily physical education in women's schooling, and developed a program of calisthenics performed to music.

In 1831, Catharine Beecher suggested that teachers read aloud to students from passages by writers with elegant styles, "to accustom the ear to the measurement of the sentences and the peculiar turns of expression".

Catharine Beecher went on to have the students imitate the piece just read using similar words, style, and turns of phrase in order to develop "a ready command of the language and easy modes of expression".

In 1846, Catharine Beecher pronounced that women, not men, should educate children, and established schools for training teachers in Western cities.

Catharine Beecher advocated that young ladies find godly work as Christian teachers away from the larger Eastern cities.

Catharine Beecher believed that women had a higher calling to shape children and society.

Catharine Beecher believed in the preparedness of female teachers to aid in their teaching of children from unfortunate homes.

Catharine Beecher did a lot of work as a writer to educate the general public.

Catharine Beecher laid the groundwork for a lot of future Family and Consumer Science Education.

Catharine Beecher recognized public schools' responsibility to influence the moral, physical, and intellectual development of children.

Catharine Beecher promoted the expansion and development of teacher training programs, holding that teaching was more important to society than lawyers or doctors.

Catharine Beecher was a strong advocate of the inclusion of daily physical education, and developed a program of calisthenics that was performed to music.

Catharine Beecher firmly believed in the benefits of reading aloud.

Catherine Catharine Beecher believed that tight corsets and bad eating habits ruined the young women's heath.

Catharine Beecher believed the primary purpose of education was to develop a young child's basis for their conscience and morals.

Catharine Beecher believed that women have inherent qualities that make them the preferred gender as teachers.

Catharine Beecher considered women natural teachers, with teaching as an extension of their domestic role.

In 1862, John Brinsley recommended that students analyze and imitate classical Greek and Latin models, while Catharine Beecher recommended English writers.

Catharine Beecher founded The American Woman's Educational Association in 1852, an organization focused on furthering educational opportunities for women.

Catharine Beecher founded the Western Female Institute in Cincinnati and The Ladies Society for Promoting Education in the West.

Catharine Beecher was instrumental in the establishment of women's colleges in Burlington, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Catharine Beecher strongly supported allowing children to simply be children and not prematurely forcing adulthood onto them.

Catharine Beecher believed that children lacked the experience needed to make important life decisions and that in order for them to become healthy self-sufficient adults, they needed to be allowed to express themselves freely in an environment suited to children.

Catharine Beecher thought that women could best influence society as mothers and teachers, and did not want women to be corrupted by the evils of politics.

Catharine Beecher felt that men and women were put on the earth for separate reasons and accepted the view that women should not be involved in politics, but rather, they would teach male children to be free thinkers and moral learners and help shape their political ideas.