Overview
New Woman
"We have now seen that woman is not only coming into various positions, professional and political, but also that her coming proceeds upon a basis of natural right. She is, therefore, coming to stay, for natural rights have in them this quality, that they assert themselves permanently in the interests of all whom they may affect."
(Mrs. J.L. Dawson [Grace Annie Lockhart], Mount Allison University, class of 1875, speaking at an educational meeting in the Grafton Street Methodist Church, Halifax, 27 June 1896)
By the 1890s, cultural barriers faced by women began to drop. The so-called 'New Woman' began to appear in Canada, which coincided with the rise in popularity of bicycling. Uncomfortable iron-rimmed and expensive ‘penny farthing’ bicycles were replaced by cheaper and more comfortable ‘safety bicycles,’ which had pneumatic tires and gear and chain systems.
These new bicycles were available to women and men of all classes. For women, riding a bicycle meant physical emancipation and fashion reform. It was more comfortable to ride in shorter skirts and 'bloomers' than it was in long voluminous dresses, and each woman had the power and means to travel independently wherever and whenever she wanted.
The bicycle craze that swept Canada in the mid-1890s was felt at the same time in Sackville, and by females at Mount Allison. The president of the Ladies' College, Dr. Borden, declared in 1897 that there were 25 bicycles in use at the college. In 1898, two women, Mabel Smith and Maud Corbett, rode 75 kilometres on their bicycles from Parrsboro, Nova Scotia to Sackville to attend the school's closing ceremonies.
Mount Allison University, class of 1875 (including Grace Annie Lockhart)
Eleanor Wood and two female friends on bicycles in front of Cranewood
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Sackville, New Brunswick
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This project was funded by the Marjorie Young Bell Endowment Fund