The dominant presence of women in the military throughout US history has paved the way for several opportunities for the women of today. From the Revolutionary War to the present day War on Terror, women from all walks of life have been laying their lives on the line to defend their beloved families and country. Throughout the Revolutionary War, women served the U.S. Army in a more traditional manner, such as seamstresses, cooks, and nurses. Today, however, the role of females in combat has changed drastically. Without the brave pioneers before us, women may not have many of the opportunities they are accustomed to today. For instance, the service of these brave women from the Revolutionary War to the conclusion of WWI helped to propel the passage of the 19th Amendment, June 4, 1919, granting women the right to vote. (Women, 2018) “During the …show more content…
Again, many women disguised themselves as men in order to serve in the Army. By binding their breasts and padding the waist of their trousers, these women were able to pass through recruiting stations in order to serve their country. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was recorded as the first female surgeon in the United States and 1863 was the first female surgeon in the US Army. Due to her work as a US Army surgeon, she was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1865. Unfortunately, this honor was revoked in 1917 by the US Congress, as it was for many who did not fight directly on the front lines. Dr. Walker refused to return the medal and took it to her grave. President Jimmy Carter reinstated this honor in 1977 and Dr. Walker remains the only female in history to have received the Congressional Medal of Honor. (The History, 2009) “Women were forced to adapt to the vast social changes affecting the nation.” It is because of their ability to willingly adapt to these new roles, which helped shape the United States. (Women,
Great people often arise from unlikely places. During the civil war women were barred from serving in the army; however, women did sometimes disguise themselves as men and enlisted in both the Confederate and Union armies. During the Civil War years of 1861 to 18-65, soldiers under arms mailed countless letters home from the front. There are multiple accounts of women serving in military units during the Civil War, but a majority of these incidents are extremely hard to verify. Nevertheless, there is the one well-documented incident of the female Civil War soldier by the name of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman.
Within Megan H. Mackenzie’s essay, “Let Women Fight” she points out many facts about women serving in the U.S. military. She emphasizes the three central arguments that people have brought up about women fighting in the military. The arguments she states are that women cannot meet the physical requirements necessary to fight, they simply don’t belong in combat, and that their inclusion in fighting units would disrupt those units’ cohesion and battle readiness. The 1948 Women’s Armed Services Integration Act built a permanent corps of women in all the military departments, which was a big step forward at that time. Although there were many restrictions that were put on women, an increase of women in the U.S. armed forces happened during
Women in the US Military - Civil War Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
to join the army as a surgeon and medical officer for the Union forces. Her request was denied, so she volunteered her time, being accepted as an assistant surgeon at the hospital set up at the U.S. Patent Office. By 1862, she had received a second medical degree from Hygeia Therapeutic College in New York. She was found with the Union Army of the Potomac, serving as a civilian surgeon at the battle of Fredericksburg, in November. Mary Edwards Walker designed and wore a modified officers uniform and carried two pistols at all times, she would also often cross into Confederate territory to help civilians.
During the American Civil War, "More than twenty thousand women in the Union and Confederate states engaged in relief work…” (Schultz, 2004). These women had certain professional rights and responsibilities to uphold throughout the Civil War. They broke the common Victorian American tradition and volunteered to be Civil War nurses, something that astounded the nation (USAHEC.org). These battle aids nursed the wounded soldiers and performed other tasks to help the soldiers. However, these women were not accepted right away by male doctors in the hospitals. Some male doctors thought of women as useless (Barton, 1892) and that they "were intruding into their domain and using scarce resources," (Freemon, 1998). Despite the power struggle between the male doctors and women nurses, the women nurses were soon known as “The nurses, consolers, and saviours of men.” (Barton, 1892).
G.I. Joe, the white and brave American male soldier, was firmly the symbol of American freedom and patriotism during WWII. Meanwhile, women were encouraged to be nurses, mothers, and some were paraded around as tokens of “equality” like Rosie the Riveter and “Marinettes.” Now, the second World War has been pointed to as a turning point in women's rights. However, few Americans recognized the achievements of women and most even discouraged them. Because the many contributions of women during WWII went unnoticed, even today, Americans need to learn the sacrifices many women made while still being treated as less than a man. Only from these mistakes can the United States learn to recognize the women that serve this country on a daily basis.
One of the more significant roles that women played during the civil war was that of a soldier. Both Union and Confederate armies forbade the enlistment of women, so those that wanted to enlist, crossed gender boundaries and disguised themselves as young men and assumed masculine names. This war was not only a man’s fight, but it was also a woman’s fight. Female civil war soldiers, like the male soldiers, lived in camps, suffered in prisons and died for their respective causes. They were wounded prisoners of war, and killed in action. Going to war was strictly by choice and they were all aware of the risks involved. Many had never fired a rifle before much less contained the understanding of the army way of life, but nevertheless, they still managed and some were very successful.
Since the resolution of World War II, the United States has been involved in over fifteen extensive military wars. Recent wars between Iraq and Afghanistan are being fought over several issues which affect women in both the United States and the other nations. While the military is often thought of a male dominated institution, women are present and affected all throughout the system as soldiers, caretakers, partners, and victims. Transnational feminists often fight against war due to the vulnerability that is placed on women during times of war. Despite often being overlooked, there is no doubt that women are heavily included in the devastating consequences of war.
When the American Civil War began on April 12th, 1861, over 3 million Union and Confederate soldiers prepared for battle. Men from all over America were called upon to support their side in the confrontation. While their battles are well documented and historically analyzed for over a hundred years, there is one aspect, one dark spot missing in the picture: the role of women in the American Civil War. From staying at home to take care of the children to disguising themselves as men to fight on the battlefield, women contributed in many ways to the war effort on both sides. Though very few women are recognized for their vital contributions, even fewer are
Revolutionary and the Civil War, a few women disguised themselves as men and took part in hand-to-hand combat. The first enlisted women served in World War I as telephone and radio operators, translators, and clerks. But it was not until World War II that women became part of the regular military. Each service had its own women's corps commanded by female officers. The first of these units, the Women's Army Corps (WACs), enlisted 400,000 women during the war to work in jobs that freed men to fight. Following the war, the Women's Services Integration Act of 1948 established a permanent place for women in
Women during wartime situations were so determined to participate in the defense of their country and their homes, they went from performing the traditional duties of cooking, sewing, fixing the weapons for the soldiers to serving as soldiers themselves along side the men. They hid fugitives and even became spies. During World War II and the Vietnam War, women were only allowed to serve as nurses because military leaders did not want to expose women other than nurses to the horrors of combat. Women were not given any form of training and were not permitted to carry weapons which would able them to defend themselves against the enemy. Decisions permitting the deployment of women especially enlisted women, to the combat area was the military habit of over-protection, based on the notion that the women would not be able to cope with the slightest inconvenience without loss of morale and efficiency. It was just this kind of thinking that was continually interjected into the decision-making process when it came to enlisted women, which were often treated as though they were not much brighter than a young child. “The male soldiers, sailors, airmen and hostile wives back home labeled these
With the advent of the 1920s and the signing of the Nineteenth Amendment came a rapid movement toward women’s rights. It sped up with the beginning of World War II where six million women went to work in military factories, producing ammunition and other military goods for the sixteen million troops fighting abroad. The end of the war brought the realization that American women could work just as hard and efficiently as American men. Thus the idea of feminism was born. From here, the momentum continued before taking a hit with the loss of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1980s. This only caused women to fight harder and soon a new generation of independent women arose in the early 1990s. Nowadays, self-sufficient women can be found everywhere as CEOs in companies like PepsiCo and Kraft Foods or as associate justices on the Supreme Court. However, all the strides taken thus far had its origins not in businesses or the government but in the military. Since Joan of Arc first picked up a sword to fight for the French, women have disguised themselves as men in order to fight for their country and for their own personal independence. For example, during the Civil War (1860-1865), nearly three hundred women fought bravely in support of both the Northern and Southern cause (Weiser). Yet despite their bravery, three hundred seems trivial next to the approximately three million male soldiers that fought next to them (Weiser). The majority of contributions came from the women who stayed within the societal boundaries of the time. Unfortunately, most accounts of women in the Civil War focus on the hidden soldiers and not the supporting housewives. With such a small amount of women defying the norm, one has to wonder to what extent did women ...
The problem of women fighting in combat along with their male counterparts is not a one-sided problem. Elizabeth Hoisington has earned the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, leads the Women’s Army Corps and believes that women should not serve in combat because they are not as physically, mentally, or emotionally qualified as a male is and that ...
The story of America’s military woman can be traced to the birth of our nation. During the American Revolutionary War, the 18th and 19th centuries, where women served informally as nurses, seamstresses, cooks, and even as spies and were subject to Army’s rules of Conduct. Though not in uniform, these women shared soldier’s hardships including inadequate housing and little compensation. Women have formally been part of the U.S Armed Forces since the Inception of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901. In 1973 the transition to the All-Volunteer Force marked a dramatic increase in the opportunities available for women to serve in the military. As of September 30, 2009, the total number of active duty women in the U.S was 203, 375, and women made up 14.3 percent of the U.s armed forces (Robinson). Women are a crucial role in c...
Skaine, Rosemarie. “Properly Trained Servicewomen Can Overcome Physical Shortcomings.” Women at War: Gender Issues of Americans in Combat (1999). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. University of South Alabama Library. 15 July 2006 .