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Roles of women during civil war
Roles of women during civil war
Roles of women during civil war
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Women in the Civil War and how they contributed to the war effort
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.
Some women enlisted in the army to fight on the battlefield. Their reasons varied as some fought for money and
National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
"LibGuides: The Civil War: Women and the Homefront: Primary Sources Online." Primary Sources Online - The Civil War: Women and the Homefront - LibGuides at Duke University. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
National Women's History Museum Spies Exhibition. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017. https://ctlsites.uga.edu/hist2111-wolf2015/2015/11/30/the-changing-role-of-southern-women-during-the-civil-war/ Wright, Contributed By Catherine M. Women during the Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
"Georgeanna Woolsey: A Day in the Life of a Northern Nurse." Civil War Trust. Civil War Trust, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
Women in the US Military - Civil War Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
"...I am other than my appearance indicates": Women as Soldiers and Spies." Women on the Border: Maryland Perspectives of the Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
Lederle, Cheryl. "Women Soldiers in the Civil War, Part 1: Going Behind the Gender Lines." Women Soldiers in the Civil War, Part 1: Going Behind the Gender Lines | Teaching with the Library of Congress. N.p., 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 30 Apr.
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
The author of What This Cruel War Was Over does not primarily focus on women in her book, but she does mention that “Few things could more effectively make nineteenth-century white men, North or South, feel that their society was under attack than questioning the behavior or morality of white women,” in considering women’s treatment of Union soldiers. (Manning, 62) In a contradictory statement, Faust notes that “With words, gestures, chamber pots, and even, on occasion, pistols, white women assaulted the enemy in ways that many Southerners celebrated as heroic testimony to female courage and patriotism.” (Faust, 198) These two authors’ research has led them on two very separate paths; however, both used women’s treatment of Union soldiers to further their
“There was much more to women’s work during World War Two than make, do, and mend. Women built tanks, worked with rescue teams, and operated behind enemy lines” (Carol Harris). Have you ever thought that women could have such an important role during a war? In 1939 to 1945 for many women, World War II brought not only sacrifices, but also a new style of life including more jobs, opportunities and the development of new skills. They were considered as America’s “secret weapon” by the government. Women allowed getting over every challenge that was imposed by a devastating war. It is necessary to recognize that women during this period brought a legacy that produced major changes in social norms and work in America.
During the war, women played a vital role in the workforce because all of the men had to go fight overseas and left their jobs. This forced women to work in factories and volunteer for war time measures.
Eggleston, Larry G. Women in the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2003. Print.
They were considered no use to the society, because they were labeled as being weak. They wanted to be privileged with the same roles as the men did, such as fighting in a battle. The Civil War gave the women an opportunity to do something about their wants. They took action by disguising themselves as men, so they would be able to attend the war. The woman began to take part in other battles that occurred as well. Many of them were able to get away with the scam for a while, until they ended up dead or injured. Those who did not want to join forces and fight still managed to participate in the war in several other ways, like supplying them with things they needed. They decided to take control over things such as teaching jobs, industries, slaves, and family farms and businesses. Women from the North and the South volunteered as nurses during the
Kimble, Lionel, Jr. "I Too Serve America: African American Women War Workers in Chicago." Lib.niu.edu. Northern Illinois University, n.d. Web.
Because many men were involved in the war, women finally had their chance to take on many of the positions of a man. Some women served directly in the military and some served in volunteer agencies at home and in France. For a brief period, from 1917 to 1918, one million women worked in industry. Others not involved in the military and industry engaged in jobs such as streetcar conductors and bricklayers. But as the war started to end, women lost their jobs to the returning veterans.
"From Home Front to Front Line." Women in War. Ed. Cecilia Lee and Paul Edward Strong. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. The Churchill Centre. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
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
Clinton, Catherine. The Other Civil War, American Women in the Nineteenth Century: Hill and Wang, New York 1986
They wanted to feel useful to society so during the American Revolution, women, who did not usually participate in the war, actively participated on the home front. They knitted stockings and sewed uniforms for the soldiers. They also had to replace men out in the factories as weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and shipbuilders. Other women also volunteered out in front to take care of the wounded, become laundresses, cooks and companions to the soldiers and some turned their houses into hospitals to take care of the injured.... ... middle of paper ...
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.
Ruby, J. (2005, November 1). Women in Combat Roles: Is That the Question?. Off Our Backs,35, 36.
Kirkwood, Cort. "Women in Combat: War for and Against Women." The New American. N.p., 12 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.