Revolutionary Mothers Summary

In First Generations Women in Colonial America, Carol Berkin demonstrates the social, political, and economic circumstances that shaped and influenced the lives of women during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the colonies. In exploring these women’s lives and circumstances it becomes clear that geography, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, and other factors less fixed such as war each influenced a woman’s experience differently and to varying degrees. In doing this, Berkin first showcases the life of a specific woman and then transposes that life onto the general historical framework and provides a context in which this woman would have lived. The lives of these women exemplified is also explored and demonstrated through the use of comparison to highlight their different experiences. Moreover, this analysis also seeks to identify the varied sources of these women’s power, albeit for many this power was limited. The analysis is broken up primarily by geography, then by race, and lastly by time and war. While these factors provide the overarching context of analysis, more specific factors are also introduced.

From the social viewpoint the war changed the lives and rights of women all across the United States. Many of the husbands left to fight in the Revolutionary war leaving countless women in charge of farms and businesses, roles which they were not accustomed to. Although the war did little to change women’s rights, in some states it did become possible for women to divorce and in new jersey women even obtained the right to vote which was way out of the ordinary in that time. Before the war both men and women viewed the wife as an obedient and serving spouse that raised the children and took care of the house. But the revolution encouraged people of both genders to reconsider the contribution of women to the family and society.

“Revolutionary Mothers Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence,” is a book written by Carol Berkin. In this writing, Berkin goes into detail on the important role women of the 1600s-1700s took place during the Home Front War. Berkin argues that it wasn’t just the men who fought for independence, but women fought for freedom as well. The book describes the roles that different women faced, the challenges women faced, and women’s capabilities during the war.

Lastly, the readability of this book is amazing. The information is presented well that is laid out in an organized manner. Due to the many different aspects and sides to the women discussed in the book there are sections laid out devoted to specific loyalties people and race. The tone of the book is pleasantly understood, so that many people of many different education levels are able to appreciate the information presented by Carol Berkin. The reader is immediately drawn in to the general overview located in the preface. Further on in the book Berkin is able to personalize the information so that the

Document A, shows a woman holding a musket and powder horn wearing a tricorn hat. This document bolsters that women’s roles were expanded during the American Revolution since they participated in the American Revolution and hints at the potential for revolutionary change in women’s roles. The Daughters of Liberty proved that they could do anything a man could do. When their husbands, brothers, and or sons went to fight in the war women had to continue making a living at home by assuming the tasks that the males had. The Daughters of Liberty were working relentlessly to prove their commitment to “the cause of liberty and industry.” Home manufacturing originated from when women made clothing for the people of their respective towns to boycott the British and when they had to produce products such as artillery as well as clothing for the American forces to utilize. Document J, a valedictory address by Molly Wallace from the Young Ladies’ Academy of Pennsylvania notifies us that friendly encouragement allowed herself to overcome apprehension due to sex, youth, and inexperience which will be an example that women can do anything they set their mind to and that if women are not denied the right to read, moreover they should not be denied the right to speak. Her speech increased discussion of educational opportunities for women and the Revolution had not yet greatly altered society’s perception of the role of women.

The book Revolutionary Mothers, by Carol Berkin is a truth telling and eye opening experience for the reader that shows how the fight for America’s independence affected the role of women. The book reveals the unknown side of women during young America’s first major war, the Revolutionary War. It portrays the very important role women played during war despite the fact that war brought scarcity, bloodshed, and danger into their lives. Women’s lives changed drastically during this time period.

Carol Berkin clearly states her thesis in the introduction of Revolutionary Mothers. “Despite the absence of radical changes in gender ideology and gender roles for most women, the Revolution did lend legitimacy to new ideas about women’s capacities and their proper roles”. (Berkin 2005) In two thousand and fourteen it is questionable about how clearly women’s roles have changed especially in the areas of economics and politics at least it is obvious that the revolution did not bring equality.

As the saying goes, “a woman’s work is never done,” but today’s women live a far different life than their predecessors. The women of the revolution were courageous and brave-hearted. The obstacles of their time were far more difficult to overcome than those faced by women in this day and age. Whether it was slavery, war, or racial prejudice, these women kept their heads held high and worked to break down these barriers and create change for the future. On top of having to deal with these hardships, the women of the revolution had families to take care of, mouths to feed, houses to clean, and wounds to heal. For many women of the revolution it was all about taking a stand for their rights and being

A critical analysis entails the review of the book Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the struggle for America’s independence by Carol Berkin. This comprised of details on women who had been involved in struggling to fulfill the independence of America. Women played their role at facing or creating impact towards the war. This outlines on myriad of women,s lives as well as getting to know the obstacles that they encountered during the war. This aids in bringing out the idea that not only men who played vital roles during the war, but also women as being key characters, inclusive of colonial women as well as Native American women and the consequences they faced. Women brought about a generation of having the initial tale of history avoiding rise of different stories thus the book,s intention was to reveal the truth of the history as well as women importance during the revolutionary war.

Clearly the role of women reflected one of diminished value as compared to her male companion. But that was all about to change with the onset of World War II.

Osborn and her fellow female commandants of war became true patriots, veterans devoted to a cause they imagined worthy of a fight. While it may seem easy to speculate her deposition as mere hearsay or engorged fabrications of an elderly woman, many claims Sarah Osborn purports are verifiable and unrequitedly true. Throughout this work I will, where reasonably necessary, corroborate Osborn's claims with that of others' similar testimony. The study of this document will mainly comprise of the role Sarah Osborn played, using her accounts of the years 1780 through the surrender of Yorktown in 1781, with contextual additions explaining social aspects of women during this era. To further this study and supply a deeper and thorough contextualization, the research and importance of other known accounts of women involved in the war serve as supplementing points to the main theme presented by Sarah Osborn's testimony. These studies along with my own interpretations of Sarah Osborn's deposition will hopefully create a view of life during the Revolution far too often unseen; that of a completely female perspective. I will attempt to show that they, as much as anyone, helped fight for, create, and maintain a union during crisis.

During the American Revolution, America went from being an extension of Britain (and a source of revenue when needed) to an independent nation built upon the grecian idea of democracy. When people hear the names George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, or Thomas Jefferson, they easily connect them to the capable leaders and revolutionary heroes who made great contributions during America’s delicate infancy. These men, along with countless others, fought for the end of the monopolization Britain held over the colonies and undyingly laid down their lives for the pursuit of freedom. However, do the names Deborah Sampson, Peter Salem, or Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben ring a bell? Women, people of color, and Europeans from all different walks of life were also swept up in the war for independence. The war did not feature people of one gender, race, or nationality. These individuals were in the flesh for all of these historical events, but, at the best, get a sentence in the history books taught in school curriculums. History books have a tendency to give major credit towards white men for our country’s freedom. The figures history teaches led armies into battles and shaped our government with significant doctrine, but they were not the only people in this war. The unprecedented sacrifices these unsung heroes gave

During the revolutionary war, which was a struggle between England and North America colonies, women played a vital role as captured by Carol Berkin in her book, “REVOLUTIONARY MOTHERS, women in the struggle for America’s independence”. Though in history the role of women has for a long time being ignored in achievements of the nation and at times accorded romanticized roles, Berkin tries to give a different picture. She focuses on women of all classes both low and high from all the races ranging from colonial white women, Native Americans, and black women. Berkin writes the book telling tales of how famous and ordinary women contributed to the revolutionary war. Writing the book, Berkin uses materials from various sources both primary and

A mother hero is a person who gives everything in the benefit of others, in addition, mother heroes are people who do not care about the sacrifices they have made. First a hero is a person who, instead feeling compassion puts action serving others. For example, a pregnant mother who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and who must have an abortion to live will give life to birth her child whom this shows sacrifice. There are also mothers who will starve in order to feed their children. Another example is a single mother who will work several jobs to provide her children with an excellent education. In addition, she still has time to prepare a meal and read her children a bedtime story. There is another type of mother heroes, those who sacrifice

But these activities were no longer carried out inside four walls, essential as that was for family survival: now they were essential for the survival of the armies. Since water was a major concern for women to be able to do their jobs, they were often the scouts who determined where the armies would camp for the night. All this put women in the middle of public life at its most raw. It was an unparalleled upheaval in the lives of a large part of the female population, changing not only experiences but horizons and