The Fall River Women’s Union was created in 1873 in Fall River Massachusetts by reform-minded women to better the lives of women and children. Charities like this were created in the late 19th century to support and educate working-class women, often with a focus on conventional middle-class ideals. On one hand, the reformers sympathized with the challenges of young working women at work and home. On the other hand, they sought to impose traditional conventions in a changing world, believing the more these girls worked, the less capable they were of maintaining high moral standards. Many of these young women were immigrants and reformers believed they should learn behavior considered proper American women. Recreation centers, clubs, vacation societies, and vacation houses for young women where activities thought acceptable were organized and chaperones were present.
In this photo 1916 photo by Lewis W. Hine, young women are folk dancing. This was much more acceptable alternative to commercial dance halls where young men and women mixed freely without chaperones.
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
To learn more about the history of vacations see Exploring Vacation and Etiquette Themes in Social Studies