The Wartime Experiences of the Revolution and Its Effects on Women Slaves and Natives

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.

“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.

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 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

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.

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

The Revolutionary War had a huge impact on women, Native Americans, and the African Americans. Before the Revolutionary War women were inferior to men, they did not get the same treatment or they were not allowed to participate in any political activities. Considering the fact that the women helped out tremendously during the war they were still denied the access to political rights. The war encouraged the women to fight for their equality and individuality. The Revolutionary War motivated the women that has always been looked down upon to fight for what they believed in. After the war the women became more valued, and some women even gained voting rights. When the colonists became victorious in the war, the Indians knew that they lost an abundance

Kerber qualifies her examples by pointing out that average Americans, regardless of gender, did not associate themselves with politics because of “the deep skepticism toward political behavior shared by the entire culture” (73). Therefore, the actions of the women who did take part in the Revolution stand out even more. Usually, it started in the home. Kerber spends several pages explaining the role of women both in organizing the pre-war boycotts of British goods and petitioning for land stability or a path to their husbands. Since the home was a woman’s sphere, the task of removing British cloth, tea, and other goods from the home fell upon women. However, many took the challenge as their own; a petition signed by the women of Edenton, North Carolina professes that “it is a duty which we owe, not only to our near and dear relatives and connections…but to ourselves” (41). If the household had become political before the Revolutionary War, it only intensified as the war continued. Women not only spun the cloth that made the boycott against the British feasible but also “undertook to police local merchants” to ensure a united front (43). Because the boycott was so clearly centered in the house, it gave women an obvious entry point into the Revolution. Similarly, petitions fit into the position that Enlightenment philosophy

The radicalism of the Revolutionary war’s outcome can be seen in three different ways. The government of the post-revolutionary united states was a large departure from the British monarchical rule because it put power in the hands of Americans. Life for the white men was very slightly improved because they could participate in democratic practices, but their daily life was hardly affected. Life for the oppressed masses, notably women, African Americans, and Native Americans largely consisted of the same oppression but budding civil

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.

Throughout history, a woman's purpose has mainly been to raise children and manage the household. Although after the Revolution, this role remained mostly the same, during the time of social injustice, women showed their bravery and patriotism. A woman’s role in the American Revolution played a significant part of America winning its independence.

From the earliest times of man, women seemed to always be seen and treated as inferior, and certainly not equal. With the birth of the United States, and the wars that followed, the female population finally gained the confidence to voice their thoughts of their roles in society. The impact of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the Progressive Era impacted the roles that women played in society in momentous ways because all three of these events were times of partial chaos with which came the more confident voices of women voicing their concerns about society’s views of them. The Revolutionary War was a time when thoughts and views were not as easily muted and, because of this, women, for the first time in history, took advantage of this and voiced their concerns verbally and through their actions such as Abigail Adams and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. Due to similar unrest, the Civil War proved to be an exceedingly important time for women because they were able to partake in a actions such as speaking out against slavery, filling male positions in factories, and even aiding wartime doctors. A final event that created arguably the most change for women is the early Progressive years and the spin off actions that followed such as the call for women’s votes, the rising leadership roles that they called for, and even their aiding of the poor and sick in places such as the Hull House.

For centuries, history has made an impact. In the sense of being, fundamental throughout our lives. It’ well acknowledged across the globe, millions of people have been hearing about the vast majority of men. Who have been praised for influencing our nation 's independence. In history class we take notice of countless stories about these men. We are talking about George Washington our first president. John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts bay colony, John Adams, and William Pitt. Including, so much more essential man, however, we also need to take into account the stories of the wives of these men and other women who were caught up in the struggle for Americas sovereignty. Throughout the eighteen century, while the revolution war was taking place. These women had to play a vital role in order to be successful in captivating the fight of the American revolution for independence. Distanced from the role men were required to play. Women who were wives, mothers, and daughters.

While it is true that women barely gain any explicit rights during the Revolution, the activities they participated in and the contributions they made planted the buds of women’s rights from that

Women have held essential roles in society for centuries. In the beginning of most civilizations and colonies in the U.S., women were seen as inferiors to men, but over time women slowly gained more rights and became of more importance to society. Women started out as being viewed as subordinate beings who were to be useful by tending to families, the household, and gather and prepare food. Soon, with wars and other conflicts, women took on tasks thought to be “men’s work”, such as acting as nurses and taking care of family businesses when their husbands were away. In the time leading up to the first women’s rights movements in the eighteen hundreds, women were traditionally viewed as inferior, but with each decade their roles would evolve in the different tasks they were expected to do, and how they were treated and viewed socially and politically. Women’s roles in the time period of sixteen hundred to eighteen sixty-five have evolved significantly from their beginnings as housewives, to taking part in wars and revolutions, to the beginning of the women’s rights movements in early eighteen hundreds.