18 Rules Of Behavior For Young Ladies In 1831

Rules of behavior for Young Ladies, partly extracted from this work and the most celebrated books on Ladies education.”

  • Avoid every thing masculine.
  • Be not too often seen in public.
  • Consult only your own relations.
  • Don’t even hear a double entendre.
  • Endeavor to write and speak grammatically.
  • Fondness for finery shows as bad a taste, as neatness and simplicity imply a good one.
  • Form no friendship with men.
  • Give your hand, when necessary, modestly.
  • If you talk in society, talk only about those things which you understand.
  • Know that a man of good sense will never marry but the pious, industrious and frugal.
  • Let not love begin on your part.
  • Make no great intimacies with any body.
  • Never be afraid of blushing.
  • Pride yourself in modesty.
  • Read no novels, but let your study be History, Geography, Biography and other instructive books.
  • Sympathise with the unfortunate
  • Trust no female acquaintance, i.e. make no confidant of any one.

Frederick Douglass: New Tea Party hero?!

Last week, Frederick Douglass — who escaped slavery at 20 years old and whose words would help bring an end to the institution — was honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol’s Emancipation Hall in Washington, D.C. In the 1960s and ’70s, far left activists like Eldridge Cleaver of the Black Panther Party and Angela Davis of Communist Party USA incorporated Douglass’ call to agitation in their various causes’ platforms. Yet in a fascinating turnaround, the brilliant abolitionist, writer and orator is developing a new – and perhaps, unexpected – political identity: Tea Party hero.

The recent rise in interest in Douglass by conservatives stems from their belief that his life epitomizes the self-reliance they champion, and his writings help provide justification for small government. It may be surprising to some that the fiery, black radical abolitionist of the 19th century, who once called Fourth of July celebrations “a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages,” could be inspiring to a Tea Party patriot. Or that social conservatives could find common cause with the man who bitterly attacked America’s Christianity as “a lie.” But that is exactly what is happening.

…But as Republican Speaker John Boehner took the stage, leading the ceremony that pushes Frederick Douglass deeper into icon status, calling Douglass “one of the greatest Americans who ever lived,” it became less clear than ever who will win the battle to claim the legacy of Frederick Douglass.