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tion of the institution. As a result of the 

 efforts of its increasing numbers of friends, a 

 model kindergarten was made a feature of the 

 Philadelphia Exposition in 1876, and in this 

 way it became generally known. That its mes- 

 sage of a higher type of education for young 

 children was understood and accepted is proved 

 by the increase in the number of kindergartens 

 from ten in 1870 to 400 in 1880. 



The growth of the kindergarten movement 

 from these beginnings was brought about by 

 many influences that cannot be traced here. 

 At this time, however about 1880 the inter- 

 est of the women took organized form and be- 

 came an important factor in its development. 

 Realizing that the kindergarten would not be 

 generally adopted unless the people were made 

 acquainted with its purposes and methods, 

 public-spirited women in many communities 

 organized kindergarten associations for the 

 spread of kindergarten intelligence. The work 

 of these associations included the planning of 

 campaigns for the public's enlightenment, the 

 raising of money for kindergarten support, the 

 holding of mothers' meetings and the forma- 

 tion of kindergarten study clubs, the coopera- 

 tion with school authorities, and other forms 



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of publicity work. These associations, which 

 were organized in several hundred cities and 

 towns during the decade from 1880 to 1890, 

 formed one of the chief agencies through which 

 the people became acquainted with the kinder- 

 garten, and it was to the knowledge thus 

 gained that its adoption by schools later was 

 largely due. The kindergarten would doubtless 

 have made progress without that effort, but by 

 means of it the clock of educational progress 

 was set forward many years. Without the 

 multiplication of kindergartens, one factor in 

 that progress would have been lacking. The 

 work of the kindergarten associations was a 

 work by women for women and children. It 

 was undertaken because of their faith in the 

 enlightenment of motherhood as a means to 

 a better and happier childhood, and hence to a 

 better and happier humanity. 



Progress of the Movement. The adoption of 

 the kindergarten by the school has made steady 

 progress since the early days. Five of the 

 large cities Milwaukee, New Orleans, Boston, 

 Philadelphia and Los Angeles and about 

 twenty-five smaller ones, took this step during 

 the decade from 1880 to 1890. During the next 

 decade, Chicago, Saint Paul, New York City, 



