Rachel Hansen
APUSH Pd. 1
Women American Revolution:
There would be no United States of America today if the American Revolution hadn’t started in 1775. Although the Patriots were able to beat the tyrannical rule of Great Britain, history books fail to acknowledge the role women played in the war. Women weren’t allowed to fight in wars like they are today; therefore, when the American Revolution is discussed women tend to go unnoticed as being influential. During the American Revolution women helped the war effort by spying on the British, writing literature that raised opposition, and forming organizations that provided for the Continental Army.
Women helped in the American Revolution by working with the Culper Spy Ring to provide
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information and assist in the passing of information between spies. The Culper Spy Ring was a secret spy organization that George Washington had created in order to intercept information from the British, so that the Continental Army could have an advantage over them in battle. One female that helped out the Culper Spy Ring was Anna Smith Strong, who was nicknamed “Nancy.” By using her clothesline, Strong assisted spies such as Abraham Woodhull and Caleb Brewster in the crossing of Long Island Sound. When she placed a black petticoat on the line it signaled that Brewster had landed nearby, and the number of handkerchiefs signaled which landing point he was at (Frank 521-523). Strong was vital in the success of information being transferred between spies because her use of the clothesline wasn’t a suspicious form of communication. Strong used her gender as a way to help Woodhull pass key information to the Continental Army. To the British, Strong was just performing a normal domestic duty by hanging clothes up, when realistically she was helping out the Patriots in a way that only a woman could. Lydia Darragh was an American Quaker that provided intelligence to Colonel Elias Boudinot. Darragh was able to eavesdrop on General Howe at her home, because he was using her downstairs for staff meetings. Darragh walked five miles to Rising Sun Tavern to tell Colonel Elias Boudinot the specifics of Howe’s army and their plan to attack the Patriots (Wright 193). This intelligence allowed the Continental army to have prior knowledge of a British attack giving them time to prepare their troops. Without this advanced time to prepare, the British could have killed many American troops. Since Darragh was a woman, she was to able to convince the Loyalist army that she was naive and wouldn't be a threat to their attempts at beating the Patriots. As can be seen with both these women, the lack of belief that women could be a threat allowed them to use their gender to the advantage of the Patriots. Women wrote literature that criticized the British rule in order to gain support for the Patriot cause. Although it was uncommon for females to be educated enough to write, Mercy Otis Warren was one individual who was able to write her opinions. Warren used her self taught abilities to write a poem expressing her frustration with the Boston Tea Act (Warren 471-474). This poem encouraged the boycott of British goods and because it was written by a woman, it inspired others of the same gender to take a larger role in the war. Through her words, she was able to bring awareness to the issue of Great Britain's rule, which inspired others to take a stand against it. The spirit for the Revolution increased due to Warren’s writings. Additionally she wrote “The Adulateur,” which was originally published anonymously in the Massachusetts Spy in 1772. Warren wrote the satirical play after her brother faced a mental breakdown because of a brutal assault by a British custom. The play criticized Governor Thomas Hutchinson by representing him as the aggressive and ruthless character, Rapatio (Stuart). Having experienced first hand what Great Britain's rule caused, Warren wanted the rest of Massachusetts to see that their rule needed to cease. By emphasizing the injustices of the British, she helped to promote opposition of their rule. In order for the Americans to have a chance at beating the British, their supporters needed to have passion and Warren was able to create this passion through the words she wrote. Having her works published anonymously allowed for them to be even more impactful, since males were more likely to agree with ideas if they didn’t know they were a woman’s. Although Warren was a woman she was able to use her skills as a writer to advocate for the war. Lastly, women formed organizations that brought aid to the Continental Army.
Esther De Berdt Reed was the president of the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, created in 1780 and was crucial in its formation. In the “Sentiments of American Women” she argued that women should do more than just staying at home, so the association fundraised for food and clothes for troops (Letter). Through the creation of this organization two of the struggles that troops had to live through while fighting were addressed. After the Ladies of Philadelphia was created other similar associations began to form in other colonies. Reed was able to expand the influence of women by making them more significant in the lives of troops. For instance, French general François Jean, Marquis de Chastellux stated, “The ladies had bought the linen from their own private purses, and had gladly cut out and stitched the shirts themselves” (Women). The French general commented on the life among Philadelphia's elite women during the war. Regardless of what economic status they were, most women would get involved in these organizations as an attempt to be apart of the war effort. Ladies did their best to help the war effort without fighting in the war, even if that meant sewing shirts. The Ladies Association of Philadelphia did their best to improve the lives of
troops. Patriot women may not have been on the frontlines of the American Revolution, but, that doesn’t mean they weren’t influential in the war effort. Women found creative ways that they could aid the American cause while still fulfilling their roles of being mothers. By using their gender to spy on British forces, women gave the Continental army had an advantage over the British. Through literature written by Mercy Otis Warren the spirit behind the war increased while the formation of organizations helped provide the army with crucial items.
Female spies were a great help in the war. Men did not expect innocent women to be involved in such dangerous activities so they often were not found out at first. Men easily trusted the women spies and told them important military secrets. The spies would get information then write it on paper or material and sew it into their clothes or put it in their hair. With bigger stuff they would attach it to the hoops on their skirts and hide the stuff in dolls. People started to suspicious when the women spies started to do “inappropriate” actions “such as allowing men into their homes at all hours of the night, arranging meetings with men in various locations and riding on horses and in buggies unaccompanied.”
Linda K. Kerber accomplished a rather large task by researching and completing Women of the Republic. Aside from her lack of research of lower-class and Southern women of the Revolution, Kerber portrays an excellent amount of research and information. Her work is very well-written and articulate and would be very beneficial to anyone hoping to find information about the role women played during the American Revolution. This work does a great job presenting information about the role of Revolutionary women; it is a must read for anyone interested in the subject matter.
The American Revolution had a significant impact on parts of society that included women, slaves, and Indians. Women actually played a significant role in the American Revolution, even if the proper place for a lady during that time was the home. The Cult of Domesticity agreed with this statement, believing women belonged in the home doing the chores and caring for the children. However, women were beginning to prove that they had a purpose beyond the home. Someone once made a woodcut statue of a patriot woman who was holding a gun and wearing a hat similar to what the men wore during the war (Doc A). Women were involved in the war as nurses, spies and aids. Some even cut their hair short and pretended to be
In the 1770’s the British army was well known for its monetary wealth and professional well trained militia. American colonists were slowly getting more and more fed up with the inequality and taxation under British rule so they took a stand. Americans known as Rebels or Patriots fought in the Revolutionary War to gain independence from Britain. Some colonists also known as loyalists, thought that the Patriots had no chance against the professional militia so they stayed loyal to the crown. Although improbable at the start of the American Revolution, the colonists were able to defeat the British army and formally gain independence because they had great leadership from George Washington, similar goals that created high morale, and aided from
Before the Revolution, women were not allowed a voice in the political world. They almost had no rights, especially if they were married. They were granted fewer opportunities than men. Women were to stay at home care for the household and family. However, that soon began to change. When the Stamp Act was passed in 1765, it required colonist to pay a tax on every piece of printed-paper they used. Women refused to pay for the shipped items from the mother country, “The first political act of American women was to say ‘No’(Berkin 13). As from then, an uprising in issues began to unroll. Women began to seek their voice been heard and act out on problems that were uprising, such as the British Tea. As the war broke out, women’s lives changed even more. While men were in compact, they kept their families alive by managing the farms and businesses, something that they did not do before the war. As the fighting advanced, armies would rummage through towns, destroying homes and seizing food-leaving families with nothing. Women were attacked while their property was being stripped away from them; some women destroyed their own property to keep their family safe. “Women’s efforts to save the family resources were made more difficult by the demands of the military.
1775: The American Revolution officially starts. 1783: The American Revolution finally comes to an end. There are numerous of hardships, victories, secrets, and untold stories throughout these eight long years. It makes us wonder how it was possible for the American colonies, being the underdogs, to beat what was thought to be one of the leading countries of the time, England. It took a lot of hard work, determination and art to win this battle. You heard right, art, as in wax figures, sculptures, busts, and much more made by Patience Wright. It is the small, yet important figures, including women that contributed to America’s victory in the Revolutionary War that we often overlook.
Women played an important role throughout American history. They were known in the Civil War to be doing various acts. Women had enlisted in the army as soldiers, spied and gathered information about the enemy, took care of wounded soldiers, traveled and helped within the military camps and even took over their husbands’ businesses. There were many things that they did to contribute to the war just as much as the men did. Even though it was dangerous they still helped whether it was on the battlefield, in a hospital, or at home, they still tried to help out the best they could.
Throughout history, women are often included as a side note to occurrences of their ages, most often seen as small and unimportant among patriarchs. Despite this shortcoming in historical documentations, some events do look more closely through the eyes of women. The French Revolution of the eighteenth century is one of these events. This investigation will be exploring the French Revolution, and asking: to what extent did women make an impact? In Thomas Streissguth’s book, Women of the French Revolution, he highlights several women of France, while also analyzing their contribution to the course of the revolution. With his book as a major source, the investigation will explore the topics of women’s riots and salons, individual women, and women as a whole.
In the book Women in the Civil War, by Mary Massey, the author tells about how American women had an impact on the Civil War. She mentioned quite a few famous and well-known women such as, Dorothea Dix and Clara Barton, who were nurses, and Pauline Cushman and Belle Boyd, who were spies. She also mentioned black abolitionists, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, feminist Susan B. Anthony, and many more women. Massey talks about how the concept of women changed as a result of the war. She informed the readers about the many accomplishments made by those women. Because of the war, women were able to achieve things, which caused for them to be viewed differently in the end as a result.
Roberts says that if it weren’t for these women our lives today might very well be completely different then they are today. There still might have been poor and unsafe working conditions, unequal wages between men and women, and much more. These women were constantly fighting and influencing their husbands and important men around them to, as Abigail Adams said, “remember the ladies”. George Washington was a man that never forgot to recognize the ladies. Roberts provides a quote from George Washington where he is recognizing the men which we now call the Founding Fathers. He starts by giving credit to the men that formed our nation but also includes that the ladies played a huge role in shaping our country and they are the “best patriots America can boast”. Roberts concludes the book with that statement, which leaves the book at an ending that makes you stop and reflect on the real impact these women have had. Female activists were formed because of the bravery of these women and if it went for them, female activists might not have been as successful as they were. Roberts proves that these Founding Mothers were the foundation and stability behind our Founding
Women have always played a major role in history. Despite the hardships, pain and trials most of the women experienced, they still succeeded in enduring some of the differences between their opposite sex. Throughout history, women have always been fighting for their freedom, thus this fight still goes on in this present time. Women had a great role in shaping America as what it is right now. They, not only the fact that took care of the welfare of their family, but also were responsible to the increase in the population of early settlers causing expansion, diverse ethnicity and distinct cultures among the early colonies.
Often historical events leading up to the twentieth century are dominated by men and the role of women is seemingly non-existent outside of reproduction. When one thinks of notable and memorable names and events of the Revolution, men are the first to be mentioned. The American Revolution was mainly dominated by men including George Washington, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. There is no denying that men were vitally important to the American Revolution, but what were the women doing? Often overlooked, the women of the Revolution played a key role in the outcome of the nation. The women of the American Revolution, although not always recognized, were an influential society that assumed risky jobs like soldiers, as well as involvement
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
The role of American women has changed significantly from the time the nation was born, to the modern era of the 1950s and 1960s. Many people, "... believed that women's talent and energies ... would be put to the better [use] in the new republic." (Clinton 3) Clearly showing that society has seen the importance of the women's talents and that their skills can be very useful, exploited this and thus, the change of the women's role was inevitable. Society has understood that the roles of women played an important role on all parts of life.
Women and men are nestled into predetermined cultural molds when it comes to gender in American society. Women play the roles of mothers, housekeepers, and servants to their husbands and children, and men act as providers, protectors, and heads of the household. These gender roles stem from the many culture myths that exist pertaining to America, including those of the model family, education, liberty, and of gender. The majority of these myths are misconceptions, but linger because we, as Americans, do not analyze or question them. The misconception of gender suggests that biological truths no longer dictate our gender roles as men and women; they derive from cultural myths. We, as a nation, need to do severe critical thinking about this delusion of gender, how has limited us in the home, media, and education, how it currently limits us, and what the results of the current and future changes in gender roles will be.