Women During The Civil War Essay

They opened up their homes to the wounded, raised money for and provided food and clothing to the Army. There are even several recorded instances of women serving as spies or soldiers in disguise. Most of the active participants however, were in the form of what was called "camp followers". While some of these were women were prostitutes, many others were wives, daughters and mothers of soldiers who followed the Army because they were unable to support themselves after their men left for war. They served the Continental Army as nurses, cooks, laundresses, and water bearers. These women became the earliest American examples of women who supported the military to "free a man to fight" as they performed jobs usually done by male soldiers.

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

Women in the armed forces and social welfare programs both brought advantages to non working civilians. World war 2 was the time that women were given new opportunities to help in the war. The Canadian Women Army corps was one of the women divisions, and had more than 50% of the 50000 women who had enlisted in the program were involved in this section. The women helped on foot with basic essential tasks, for instance, cooking and preparing meals as well as washing the laundry. Having the women take on these jobs gave the men more time to spend the majority of their time fighting at battle and less or the time spent having to take care of their minor needs. Eventually women started to take on more severe male jobs, they worked as mechanics and also had the task of driving around the ambulance cars and other important vehicles around the fields. Next to these women who both stayed in Canada and travelled overseas, there were also those who took part in the Canadian Women Airforce. The women in this sector had been trained for administrative and support roles, although on top of this women proceeded to work in other positions as the war continued. They were working as parachute riggers, lab assistants, and in all the mechanical and electrical areas. The wage for women increased due to their joining of the higher male jobs and aircraft business. The third area

n recent years, historians (including this reviewer) have examined the complex reactions of Confederate women to the Civil War with an emphasis on ambivalence, class conflict, and new gender roles. There has also been an emphasis on disaffection from the Confederacy and sometimes from men in general. Much of this scholarship has attempted to revise and even displace the stock contemporary and historical images of Confederate women as fervent and unwavering patriots willing to make any sacrifice for their beloved cause. Perhaps the interpretative pendulum has swung a bit far, and the publication of Ellen Renshaw House 's diary should remind us that the traditional picture of fire-breathing and unreconstructed "secesh females" had some basis in fact.

Although the exact number of nurses that served in the Civil War is not known, it is estimated that between 2,000-5,000 ladies served as nurses. The nurse’s job was not an easy one, they assisted surgeons during surgery, they cleaned and fed the troops that were in recovery, they would bandage wounds and dispense medicine to those that needed it. Some of the more notable nurses are: Dorothea Dix- part of the founders of the US Sanitation Committee, Clara Burton-founder of American Red Cross, Louis May Alcott, and Helen Gilson.

Many filled in as medical attendants in the both the Army and Navy Nurse Corps. Others served in all branches of the military. On the home front, ladies worked in processing plants building boats, tanks, and planes; others upheld war bond drives, raised triumph cultivates, and helped with scrap drives.

In the 1860’s, American society during the war was of two minds. To fully illustrate the discontent and anger felt for the war, analysis of the personal accounts of women during the Civil War will be introduced in this writing. The personal accounts include diary excerpts and letters, as well as an illustration produced at the time of the war. The wavering of unity on both the South and North due to the separation of family and the destruction of the United States and its individuals set the tone of what was deemed to be an insignificant war. The disengagement of the family unit and the destruction and hardships created due to the wartime circumstances led to discontent with the war, further leading it to be viewed in a negative light by

Women were mostly known as the support systems during the time of the war they helped out by providing assistance to the military force. This included them cooking, Moving into the house to support the slave-owners wife when he went out to serve in the war, Taking care of the wounded and sick was another job of the African American females and there were those women that work alongside the men in making forts to protect both the Indians and the British and working as spies that jobs were to keep them informed on the British and with the promise of freedom was motivation and it kept the women working harder and finding several ways to assist as much as they

In this essay i will explain not only the civil war, I will explain the impact women made on the civil war. U should read this to not only understand more about the women in the Civil war but to see that women can do as much as men. This essay will prove that women is as much good as men. You may never know what women did to help in the Civil war if u don't read this essay The Courageous Women of the Civil War

In 1942 the Women’s Army Corps was introduced. These women worked in more than 200 non- combatant jobs stateside and also every part of the war. They served not only as common nurses but also “within the ranks of the United States Army.” There was also the Women’s Army Corps introduced in 1942. This group of 1,100 women was asked to join and fly military aircraft, due to the shortage of pilots. Their job was to fly from factories to military bases and also different take off points around the country. Even though during their enlistment the WASP were supposed to become part of the military, after a couple years the program was cancelled. The last group the, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, was already established. After being absent for twenty-three years, they had to be reactivated because of WW2. While a large portion of these women did the job of secretarial and clerical they had other jobs they did. Thousands of WAVES performed duties in aviation, medical professions, communication, intelligence, science and technology. These military jobs and the other non-traditional jobs the women participated in made them almost like a ghost in their home front.

The ideology of “true womanhood” defined the majority of American woman to stay back home focusing primarily on housework and childcare. However, when the Civil War broke out and men went in mass to fight for their side North or South, women had more responsibilities at home. Many of them became the head of the house hold and had to find out how to feed their families, taking care their kids and making sure everything running smoothly. Women were now in charge of more physically farm work such as planting, harvesting and even maintaining. Beside handling more roles within household, women began to get involve in more duties to support the war and their family members, neighbors and friends who were in the military. They were charged with helping to keep soldiers’ morale. They were expected to always be cheerful when keep their soldier updated about daily news from home. It was a difficult responsibility while there were so many changes when their men went to war.

Women in the nineteenth century were beginning to let themselves go. When the Civil War began, many women were not content to sit home and set up charity events. Some women took a more active, romantic role during an the time of the war. Some of the women during the Civil War are best recalled for their colorful clothes, compassion, and holding up the house. But some women began joining the army, to be fight with their husbands and loved ones, or to even prove to themselves and society that women could do a man's job just as well as men. Some seeked the war opportunity for excitement and travel. The fact of the matter is that women committed to the Civil War by either becoming soldiers,

Here, white women who resided in the Southern parts also delivered similar services to those provided by women in the Northern regions. Since the Confederacy possessed less cash and fewer resources as compared to the Union, they resolved to do a lot of work on their own or through indigenous auxiliaries and aid societies (Weinstock 8). Basically, they promoted the wellbeing of the society through cooking and sewing for their boys. The married women engaged in up keeping their family's farm given that majority of men operated as an army. They provided attires, blankets, sandbags and other supplies for all-inclusive troops.

Women have courageously served in the military in many ways. “During the American Revolutionary War, women served the U.S. Army in traditional roles as nurses, seamstresses and cooks for troops in camp (Women in the U.S. Army).” These jobs were needed to keep the military healthy and functional to continue the fight. These women were not sheltered from the war, and were by no means safe from harm. During the Civil War females held many of the same positions, and faced the same dangers. The only female recipient of the Medal of Honor was Dr. Mary E Walker, who was captured by Confederate forces in 1862. During peace time, the regular military was not enlisting women, but when war was declared, women became invaluable. Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons, who served in the

There was another group of women who put their lives and in many cases their reputations at risk to help during the war. These women worked as spies, smugglers, couriers, and guides. As in other areas, the exact number of women that served in this capacity for the North and South during the war is