▁R ush ▁believed ▁that ▁women ' s ▁education ▁ought ▁to ▁be ▁practical ▁for ▁domestic ▁tasks , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁include ▁traditional ▁academic ▁discipl ines ▁such ▁as ▁history ▁and ▁ge ography . ▁Indeed , ▁in ▁a ▁speech ▁to ▁visitors ▁of ▁the ▁a cademy , ▁R ush ▁noted ▁that ▁maintain ing ▁the ▁well ness ▁of ▁the ▁young ▁Republic ▁and ▁prom oting ▁the ▁values ▁of ▁each ▁citiz en ▁being ▁equally ▁entitled ▁to ▁liberty ▁" make [ s ] ▁it ▁necessary ▁that ▁our ▁ladies ▁should ▁be ▁qualified ▁to ▁a ▁certain ▁degree ▁by ▁a ▁peculiar ▁and ▁suitable ▁education , ▁to ▁con cur ▁in ▁instruct ing ▁their ▁sons ▁in ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁liberty ▁and ▁government ." ▁▁ ▁He ▁himself ▁taught ▁a ▁chem istry ▁course ▁at ▁the ▁a cademy . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁During ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution , ▁Philadelphia ▁was ▁well ▁situated ▁as ▁a ▁location ▁for ▁the ▁school ▁as ▁a ▁significant ▁cultural ▁center ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁John ▁Po or , ▁founder ▁and ▁Harvard ▁gradu ate , ▁was ▁the ▁original ▁principal ▁of ▁the ▁institution . ▁Stud ents ▁came ▁from ▁many ▁different ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁originally ▁held ▁the ▁understanding ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁" sch ol ars " ▁and ▁had ▁an ▁opportunity ▁only ▁afford ed ▁to ▁the ▁el ite . ▁However , ▁daughters ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁and ▁less ▁wealth y ▁students ▁attended ▁the ▁school ▁starting ▁around ▁ 1 7 9 4 , ▁perhaps ▁to ▁learn ▁skills ▁to ▁be ▁econom ically ▁self - su fficient ▁rather ▁than ▁to ▁teach ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁household ▁as ▁expected ▁of