ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the lives of American Woman Betsy Mix Cowles. Throughout Betsy's youth and teenage years, she watched her brothers and sisters make important life choices as they grew into adulthood. Betsy accepted her first teaching position in 1827 at the urging of her father, but she quit after a single week. Betsy lived in a region that valued education. This emphasis represented a desire for "civil society"—that is, those institutions, roles, and public spaces that gave citizens a sense of community and stability. By the time Betsy made her second attempt at teaching in 1828, she was determined to become an excellent instructor. Cowles proved to have a natural affinity for teaching. Cowles's teaching career offered her a level of independence unusual for single women of her generation. Women's opportunities for meaningful work outside the home remained limited in the 1820s and 1830s. The death of parents created a special bond among sisters, in the Cowles family.
