The Americans freedoms’ being stripped from them is what sparked the American Revolution. The Americans got so tired of the British controlling their daily lives they eventually decided to fight back. The outcome was grand, in the fact that the Americans won their freedom from the British, but the changes, ideas exchanged, and the lack of representation was not so grand. All of these changes brought radical change in the lives of all the people, and the two groups that were changed were the women and African-Americans. Both groups continued to lack rights and a place in society after the American revolution and both eventually decided to take a stand for their freedom.
During and after the American Revolution men stressed the idea that women are less intelligent and less important in society; they have their certain roles and they should not have a role in the creation of the new republic. When the American Revolution ended, women became feminists, women who saw themselves as independent and believed they deserved just as many rights as men, or they became the ideal republican woman who was beautiful, rich, had many children, and stayed at home. In this Republican society that the men were trying to create, woman were supposed to be responsible for teaching the children to be religious and to be good people. Many woman and some men did not agree with this idea. Those women are the ones that brought the most radical change to this group. One
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John Adams said, “”the real American Revolution” was the “radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people”” (184) The most radical change was most seen to me in the women and African-Americans, who had a role in society, but were extremely discriminated against because of their race or sex. With the role that they had in society they wanted their rights as well, so they fought for them bringing a big change to
However, the revolution didn’t encourage both sexes to reevaluate the women’s right. It very little changed happen women still had the same basic rights like before. However, Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, became an early supporter of women's rights when she prompted her husband to "REMEMBER THE LADIES" when starting up a new government. Even though Adams passed a new law that protects some women from bad husband this new law did not protect the single women. Also, women need and wanted to have the same right as men. Women have the same capacity and the same intellectual as men, there is no difference. The only difference between women and men that men have access to education and have more power than women before the American Revolution, this changed after women started to realize that they could have the same rights as men. Furthermore, American women deserve to have the same right. If the republic were to succeed, women must be educated in quality so they could teach their children how
During the American Revolution, not only did men have to face the struggles of war time atmosphere, but women had to as well. The country during the war was divided into three different groups of people; the loyalists, the patriots and the remaining people who did not care. Catherine Van Cortlandt, a loyalist had to endure different struggles then the patriot women Eliza Pinckney and Abigail Adams. However, parts of their stories are similar when it came to their family struggles.
The role of women played in any given war is quite often severely underestimated. This sentiment especially goes for the American Revolutionary War, where women actually played an absolutely essential role in our victory against the British. Not only where there different types of women who had helped, but there were many different ways each of them helped--particularly as nurses to help save lives and tend to injured soldiers. Without women helping in the war, we would have most certainly lost (National History Education Clearinghouse).
They were such a big deal, partially because before the Revolution they were particularly active towards the cause. Although they were a big contributor to the Revolution, they were not given the credit for it, and at first weren’t granted the same rights that men received, as well. Voting was a brief right given to the women who owned property, but was soon taken away. The 19th Amendment changed this in 1920 stating, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” (Doc, N). The Women’s suffrage wasn’t as quick to be given as male’s suffrage was, but they did make headway within their marriages and families towards it. In marriage, women were viewed as equal partners, rather than the man having main authority. Women were prepared to experience the same rights that men did, and the partnership viewed in a marriage became part of the vision of the equality they wanted. They were tired of contributing towards the Revolution, but not receiving the liberties for themselves and it shows through this letter from Abigail Adams to her husband, “Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation” (Doc M). In the
The revolution also changes the status of women in the 15 years following the American Revolution. There was a push to allow for better women’s education. In 1789, Massachusetts passed a law insisting elementary schools be open to both girls and boys. Girls from rich families had the ability to receive a good education on subjects including math, history and geography. A large advocate of women’s education was Judith Sargent Murray, who argued men and women had equal intellectual abilities, but women’s lack of chances is what made them appear inferior. Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, also called for legal reform in order to prevent male tyranny over women. Some even went further and called for the right of women to vote. This was still denied to women, however, and it would not be over 100 years later until they were granted this right. Despite some small advances for women’s rights, there was still a notion of inferiority to men.
Women generally did not fight in the revolution, and the traditional status of Eighteenth Century women meant that they were not publicly able to participate fully in the debates over the revolution. However, in their own sphere, and sometimes out of it, woman participated fully in the revolution in all the ways that their status and custom allowed.
Martin, she spoke of the hard lives women dealt with during the war. She wrote about how the women who were affected by the war and how they reacted to their situation. She went into many aspects of different women’s experiences by their writings and actions throughout the war. There were many examples of pain and heartache that the women of this time dealt with. Women of this time period were forgotten, as well as the pain they suffered from all that came with the war. This author helped me to understand the strength that these women untimely had to have in order to deal with these hard times. I felt that there wasn’t enough credit giving to the women of those
Many radical changes occurred with the American Revolution such as making the anti-slavery and women’s rights movements of the nineteenth century possible. It “changed the personal and social relationships of people, including the position of women, but also destroyed aristocracy as it had been understood in the Western world for at least two millennia.” (Wood 8).The people had to work together with each other, even the women and children, for the war. They all wanted the freedom from Britain, and unified for a victory. After, they felt freer and more equal and that
The American Revolution occurred due to the conflict between those living in the 13 colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown because of the high taxes they were ordered to pay to their homeland. By definition, a revolution means to forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system. With the new colonies winning the war against Great Britain, yes, they did overthrow the ruling of the Queen and if not, the United States would still be considered colonies of England. But if one looks through the lens of social, political, and economic change occurring for all people, this was not a true revolution. The middle class did not grow. Slavery was still legal. There was no restructuring in terms of economics and the new America was run on a system of capitalism. Change only truly occurred in terms of politics, with the introduction of a democracy and the constitution. With these changes, only the white male elite were only able to benefit from these changes, gaining more power, ability to participate in politics and financial success. African Americans, white women, and poor men saw no changed in way of life after winning the war. What the war did was began a quest of reform and revolt from these groups who suffered from injustice.
The American Revolution, which happened during the last half of the eighteenth century, reshaped many aspects of life in America. The desire of the Founding Fathers to make America a republic played a very significant part in changing the role of women after the Revolution. The role of women as wives became more important as an emphasis on virtue was established; women were encouraged to find virtuous husbands and utilize their seductive nature to keep men virtuous. The roles of women as mothers also became more important in the republic, as patriarchy loosened and mothers were depended on to educate their children in the republican way. And finally, the role of women in politics was theoretically reduced due to the increasing demands of
Sarah Benjamin went before the deposition on the twentieth day of November, 1837 in the Court of Common Pleas of Wayne County, Pennsylvania. This deposition intended to validate claims for receiving pension benefits owed to Mrs. Benjamin from a previous marriage; an Aaron Osborn, veteran of the Revolutionary War. Her case founded itself on the numerous acts of Congress over the previous decade--in particular the Comprehensive Pension Act of 1832 and subsequent acts of Congress from July 4, 1836 and March 3, 1837--allowing for the first time yearly grants to all who served in the Continental Army for a period of six months or more. These acts supplanted Sarah Benjamin's case because applicants no longer required disability or monetary
Women took on many different roles during the Revolutionary War, such as cooks, nurses and maids. Those were traditional and to be expected. But then there are the more before their time roles. Women would act as secret or replacement soldiers and spies, too. Let’s start with the common roles of Women of the Army: seamstresses; maids; cooks; water bearers and laundresses.
The American Revolution played a significant role in lives of nearly every person in America. Most men left their wives, mothers, sisters and daughters in charge of farms and businesses when they left to fight in the Patriot armies. There were many men, who had no farms or businesses, left their women with absolutely nothing to fall back on. This led to a significant increase in the population of impoverished women in several cities and towns. Due to the ongoing war, there were many price increases that these women simply could not afford. Some would riot and loot for food, while others would lead popular protests. “In New Jersey and Staten Island, women launched
The American Revolution (1775-1783) was a time of great change in America. American men were fighting for their right to be free from an oppressive ruler 3000 miles away. They wanted to have their say about what went on in their own country. America won the Revolution and its freedom, but while this was going on something else was happening. Internally changes were coming about too during all this fighting. The Revolution was the catalyst for women to make progress towards freedom. Women were making economic and political gains to further women's rights.
The victory over the British Empire gave the colonies their independence as a sovereign United States of America. However, there were many issues that went overlooked by the Constitution that stated all “men are created equal.” This did not pertain to African American slaves and women who struggled for freedom and rights as new citizens of the United States. Historians debate the role the Revolution played in both slavery and women’s rights. Some argue that it benefited the abolition of slavery and heightened the role of women in society while others say it muted these issues and in some cases made them worse. Yet, in actuality the truth may lie somewhere in between the argument, where both slavery and women’s rights were not at the forefront, however, the issues were at the very least brought to light.