▁Republican ▁Mother hood . ▁The ▁school ▁had ▁a ▁board ▁of ▁" gent le men ▁visitors ," ▁who ▁presented ▁students ▁with ▁awards ▁based ▁upon ▁their ▁performance ▁in ▁an ▁academic ▁discipline ▁or ▁for ▁good ▁behavior , ▁which ▁was ▁awarded ▁to ▁students ▁who ▁displayed ▁proper ▁man ners ▁and ▁a ▁m ild ▁temper ament . ▁P riz es ▁for ▁excell ence ▁fue led ▁the ▁school ' s ▁compet itive ▁nature , ▁which ▁mirror ed ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁of ▁boy ' s ▁academ ies ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁No ▁other ▁girl ' s ▁school ▁was ▁granted ▁a ▁char ter ▁until ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁but ▁the ▁a cademy ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁hundreds ▁of ▁academ ies ▁established ▁widely ▁throughout ▁the ▁Republic . ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁K elle y , ▁Mary . ▁Learning ▁to ▁Stand ▁and ▁Spe ak : ▁Women , ▁Education , ▁and ▁Public ▁Life ▁in ▁America ' s ▁Republic . ▁University ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁Press , ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁L erna , ▁Ger der . ▁The ▁Fem ale ▁Exper ience : ▁An ▁American ▁Document ary . ▁Oxford : ▁Oxford ▁University ▁Press , ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁Mc M ah on , ▁Lu cia . ▁"" Of ▁the ▁Ut most ▁Import ance ▁to ▁Our ▁Country ": ▁Women , ▁Education , ▁and ▁Society , ▁ 1 7 8 0 - 1 8 2 0 ." ▁Journal ▁of ▁the ▁Early ▁Republic ▁ 2 9 , ▁no . ▁ 3 ▁( 2 0 0 9 ): ▁ 4 7 5 - 5 0