The Poster, By Judith Giesberg

As the United States was continuing recovering from the Civil War and embracing the expansion of the West, industrialization, immigration and the growth of cities, women’s roles in America were changing by the transformation of this new society. During the period of 1865-1912, women found themselves challenging to break the political structure, power holders, cultural practices and beliefs in their “male” dominated world.

“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.

Many people question if women went into the war because of patriotism or because they lacked other opportunities. Women responded to the call differently depending on age, race, class, marital status, and number of children. They switch from lower-paying female jobs to higher-paying factory jobs. While patriotism influenced women,

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

When considering the American Revolution most histories fail to recognize both sides of the fight for liberty. Men were certainly the central figures; however could they have succeeded without the periphery support of women? In her book, Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America, Linda K. Kerber explores the contribution of women to the war and demonstrates the rising of “Republican Motherhood” during and following the war. Through this ideology, women merged their traditional roles with their new sense of civic duty. In the beginning chapters, Kerber examines women’s engagement in the war effort, explores the emerging idea of female patriotism and states the proper loyalties of married women during the time.

During the Second World War, both married and unmarried women worked in wartime industries and factories to take the place of men who joined the service. Although women didn’t play a significant role on the battlefields in Europe compared to males, it would be logical to conclude that women played an integral role in the participation and victory in WWII both at home and abroad. Yet when one considers their contribution, it is hard to imagine how much more they could have done given the conservative views of gender role at that time. In the context of traditional gender roles and boundaries, women conceivably maximized their wartime efforts by working in a variety of jobs including industry, volunteering, and serving as support staff for

In the American history, Civil War takes one of the prominent places due to the significance of it role in formation of American consciousness. The Civil Was of 1861-1865 identified the directions that the nation would take in the future development. Still, despite the importance of this event in the history of the United States, its impact on different spheres of human lives is commonly given less attention than necessary for understanding of the future changes in the American mentality. Specific interest is presented with the question of roles of women during wartime, and especially Confederate women. Given the simple fact that men were all gone to war, women were presented with the pressing need to deal with the things they have never took part in, pushing them into public life and making them the central cell of the society instead of their fathers, brothers and husbands. With this, the ideology of domesticity that was present before the Civil War in Confederate women had to change under the pressure of new circumstances. This has put the beginning for the future equalization of rights of men and women and the fight for it that women gradually came to understand the need for.

The role of women in the Civil War has often been overlooked in history. In the mid-1800s, stereotypes about women flourished. Women were viewed as the weaker sex. They were thought to be fragile and dependent. Gender roles were strictly divided with the woman placed firmly in the home, in charge of domestic tasks and childcare. However, when their husbands, sons, fathers and brothers joined the military during the Civil War, many women assumed new roles. Much has been written about the American Civil War but comparatively little could used to be found about the role that women played serving in the war either on the Confederate side or in the Union. However, in recent years more research has brought their stories to the forefront. Women across the

The participation of women into the Armed Forces was a major turning point in the relationship between women and the military. They were instructed that their activities and sacrifices would only be needed temporarily during the war. However, this temporary wartime crisis made American women found that their individual and collective experiences during World War 2 prevented them from stepping back into the previous social and economic structure. This is because women’s presence in the military stretched and reshaped the gender roles and norms. Consequently, women who served in the Armed Forces during the wartime laid solid foundations for the various civil rights movements that would sweep the United States after World War 2.

The American civil war (12 Apr. 1861 – 9 May 1865) had placed a significant impact on the lives of American citizens, women in particular, as their roles held important value within the period of the war. As a handful of women disguised themselves as soldiers, whilst others served as nurses and spies, they became significantly more prominent within society, with their positions in these critical occupations benefiting their surrounding society within times of war. As the mid-1800s brought abounding stereotypes for women, being viewed as the weaker sex, fragile and dependant, the coming of the Civil War challenged the ideology of Victorian domesticity that had defined the lives of men and women within the era. In the North and in the South,

When we think of the Civil War, many think of the sacrifices and influences of the men during this time. Women of the Civil War however, were also active participants of making history (Fahs). The Civil War was the first account in history where women had an active role throughout a war. It was their first opportunity to make a difference in our country’s history. Their lives before the war were that of being proper while working to maintain and support their families. The Civil War stole away the life as women knew it and placed them into a whole different role- one that was much more difficult both physically and emotionally. Though the role of women changed drastically in the north and the south- the roles were very different and were influenced by very different factors.

The article The Coming War on Women written by Willard Waller, argues that the coming men from the war will encounter yet another war with their women on the grounds for supremacy. According to the document, there will be “three phases” in this “war”: the

The war that took place during the years of April 12, 1861, to May 9th of 1865, was the bloodiest war on American soil which included the action points of heroism, tragic stories and war stories and memories that were popular works during the time. Due to the fact the war included these action points, the literature during the time demanded a “real” type of literature that does not bring false ideas about the environment in which they lived in, which allowed for a social realist to bring into the literary world during the end of the Civil war (Lasker 133). Bringing attention after the war, it quickly became visible as one the most important women’s matter in question when activities realized that the right to vote was essential for both, men

Women at the end of World War II America faced the challenge of both contributing to the war effort and proving themselves as capable of completing the stereotypical men’s work while they were fighting in the war. However, when the war ended and veterans returned home, society began to exert the previous pressures on women to return to their customary roles as housewives and mothers in order to satisfy the growing “baby boom” that overtook the country (Marias 111). Marias claims “most women preferred to return to their traditional roles, or at least accepted the social pressure to do so” (56). On the contrary, plenty of women reject the traditional role as seen throughout the various literary works we will be examining. Marias continues to suggest that “convention held that even if a woman

In “Soldier Girl: The Emma Edmond’s Story”, Tom Derreck summarizes the heroic service of Emma Edmund in the United States Army during the Civil War. During the Civil War, society granted women minimal rights, and women were considered subordinates to men. Neither the United States Army or the Confederate Army, furthermore, allowed women to serve as soldiers. During her time in service, Edmund displayed brave and heroic behavior under constant threat. Throughout the length of the war, Edmund served as a member of the Second Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a spy embedded among Confederates, and a nurse. Edmund proved to be a hardworking and exceptional soldier, and she made significant contributions to the war effort. In “Soldier Girl: The Emma Edmond’s Story”, Tom Derreck uses Emma Edmund’s wartime experiences to argue for equal rights in the armed forces.