William Alcott and the Perfect Woman

William Alcott was the son of a Connecticut farmer whose love for education and teaching stemmed from his considerably educated mother.[1] His prosperous, upper-middle class background and education allowed him to use his love for writing to write the 108 books he has published throughout his lifetime and gave him a platform to become one of the influencers of the hygienic reform during the Age of Reform.[2] Alcott wrote for an upper to middle class white audience, and intended to provide a reliable opinion backed by scientific knowledge supplemented by religious truth. [3] Many of his most popular works published in the Age of Reform centered on discussions about cleanliness, diet, and overall development of character. For example, in The Young Woman’s Guide to Excellence, Alcott describes the many personality traits that a young woman must develop and maintain in order to be successful and efficient in their lifetime. The Young Woman’s Guide to Excellence outlines a complicated and detailed recipe for the perfect young woman that is mostly based on the opinions of various medical professionals and supported by religion. The ideas presented in The Young Woman’s Guide to Excellence were not completely revolutionary. Instead, they were progressive enough to mark the beginning of the movement for change in societal gender norms.

[1] The Centenary of the First American Physiological Society Founded at ... HOFF, HEBBEL
E;Fulton, John F Bulletin of the Institute of the History of Medicine; Jan 1, 1937; 5, ProQuest pg. 687.

[2] Regina Markell Morantz, "Making Women Modern: Middle Class Women and Health Reform in 19th Century America" Journal of Social History 10, no. 4 (1977): 497.

[3] James C. Whorton, "’Christian Physiology’: William Alcott's Prescription for the Millennium” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 49, no. 4 (1975): 468