When the first women’s colleges opened their doors in the late 19th century, it was amidst heavy protest from those who believed that education would make a woman “masculine” and unfit to be a wife and mother. Subconsciously, for there was no developed category of “lesbian” at that time, many people feared that college-educated women would not be dependent upon men and would instead develop closer relationships with their fellow educated women.
    They had some grounding to their fears. Many of the graduates went on to become career women, renouncing their traditional role in the household by becoming teachers, missionaries and activists.
    Some of these career women, however, were not as solitary as might seem. They formed intense “romantic friendships” with one another and had lasting “crushes.” These behaviors were socially acceptable; either these relationships were viewed as training for a real one with a man, or they were understood to be very deep friendships that were beneficial to both involved, as it helped them support themselves without the presence of a man.
    Mount Holyoke, as a premier women’s college and environment supportive of independent women, was no exception to this history of love between women.