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 …show more content…
What began as a war to reunite the nation under one constitution and government, morphed into a fight for the abolishment of slavery. With the increased presence of pressure that came with the change in end goal of the war, tensions rose and a nation that was already divided became more increasingly broken. After slightly over four years of fighting and tension, the Confederacy, under the leadership of General Robert E. Lee, surrendered to the Union, under the leadership of General Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia (Outline 8). Soon after the surrender of the Confederation, President Lincoln was assassinated and Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed position as the President of the United States (Outline 8). During the period of reconstruction following the end of the Civil War, the thirteenth amendment was ratified in 1865, abolishing the establishment of slavery in the United States (Outline 8). In the 1862 “Excerpt from Diary of Margaret Junkin Preston”, the Civil War is introduced as an unnecessary and unsupported war by many; more specifically, the women (Hollitz 312). The document was written by Margaret as a way of voicing her opinion of the war and the effects it has had on the South. Margaret is putting to words how she feels about her husband being absent from home, the likeliness that he will be absent for such a duration of time; til the war has ended, or the eternal absence as the
Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence by Carol Berkin is a non-fictional expository book about changing women's roles before, during, and after the war. It surrounds various positions of not only White American women but, African American/slave women, distinguished, poor and Native American Women, as well as British women. It first covers pre-war norms, then looks at how the war affected women, and how women affected the war. It looks at various aspects of society, patriot and loyalist points of view, and the impact on slaves and Native Americans.
After four years of seemingly endless battle between a divided nation, more than 600,000 people were killed. These lives, however, were not given in vain. Had it not been for the American Civil War, abolition may not have been carried out. The nation might have remained divided. Women might have remained confined to their roles as the "homemakers." Although the Civil War was fought in hopes of preserving the nation and ridding it of slavery, another war raged on within the depths of this war--the women's war. Serving as nurses both in the hospital and on the battlefields, women came to know a whole
They never were able to enjoy the luxury of womanhood. As one historian said, "being a women never saved a single female from hard labor, beatings, rape, family separation, and death" (“Women in the Civil War”). Many women had to do the work of their partners. (“Women in the Civil War.”)
Women in the Civil War were important because they played important roles. They played as nurses, spies, and some even disguised themselves as soldiers. The women could only play one of these roles. For example they can only be either a spy or nurse or a soldier. They can’t be two like a spy and a nurse.
For ladies and men on the home front, the Civil War exhibited a large group of difficulties and a wide assortment of encounters. A few difficulties were comparative—if not shared similarly—in both the North and the South. At the point when men went off to battle for either armed force, those left behind needed to adapt to the passionate or material strains of partition. Both the victors and the vanquished grieved thousands who kicked the bucket, and every armed force approached its regular people to bolster the war exertion and help the injured. Certain issues weighed most vigorously on the South. As the Northern economy thrived, Southerners battled with deficiencies and swelling. Just a couple of Northern people group endured the demolition and outrages of foe occupation, though such encounters were typical in the Confederacy. What 's more, whatever the strains of war, the encounters differed by, sexual orientation, and class.
The Civil War devastated families all across the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people died and for many years after, the nation was still divided and trying to figure out how to move forward. Irene Hunt learned of stories of the Civil War from her grandfather who served in the Civil War. Hunt’s book, Across Five Aprils, relates to her childhood because this novel is nothing but a story of the war from one family. This book hit home hard and revealed concepts of realism by examining the effects the war had on everyday life.
Women were considered frail, unintelligent, and unable to make decisions in eighteen-hundredths America. It was traditional wisdom that a woman’s place was in the home. The Civil War marked a turning point for women and their role in society. Through my research consisting of books, letters, speeches, and articles, I will tell the story of a time in America when women rose to satisfy the needs of the country when most men were away fighting the war. This essay will analyze the roles of women in eighteen-hundredths America, by evaluating how women’s roles had changed; they now were nurses, soldiers/spies, and public workers/activists.
" I want something to do ' Write a book,' Qouth the author of my being. Don't know enough, sir. First live, then write.' Try teaching again,' suggested my mother. No thank you, ma'am, ten years of that is enough.' Take a husband like my Darby, and fulfill your mission,' said sister Joan. Can't afford expensive luxuries, Mrs. Coobiddy.' Go nurse the soldiers,' said my young brother, Tom. I will!' (Harper 14)." This is a dialog of Louisa May Alcott with her relatives. Miss Alcott, like many other African American women, helped serve in the Civil War. During the Civil War, Miss Alcott held a variety of jobs. Mainly working as a writer, she held positions as a nurse, teacher, and volunteered in
When you hear women in the civil war, what do you think? Some people think can that really be, women are not meant for war, all they are needed for is cooking and cleaning and taking care of their children. Well everyone who stereotypes women of that is wrong, because just like men women did have some part of the civil war. Although they may have not fought in the war, they did help with the recovery of the injured men so that they can go back and fight in the war. Being a union nurse is not the only way they were apart of the war, some women did things that went down in history. Just like Harriet Tubman, who made history because she was the creator of the Underground Railroad. She was not the only women who was part of the army and made a
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
Guisepi, Robert. “The American Civil War, Clara Barton.” The American Civil War. N.p.,n.d.Web. 16 March
The Civil War was a divisive time in American history that tore the country in half for five long years (1861-1865). After the election of Abraham Lincoln, the southern states seceded from the north and formed the Confederate States of America because they saw their way of life being threatened. They wanted to fight for their right to have slaves and for states to have more power. The North (Union) fought because secession wasn 't an option and they needed to preserve the country as a union. Lincoln called on the men in the North to fight this war, but there was also an estimated 400 to 750 women who were also soldiers. (civilwar.org) Many women stayed home and worked to maintain their
In Susie King Taylor’s Memoir, we are submerged into a vivid retelling of an African American woman’s experience during her time serving as a nurse and laundress for African American infantries during the Civil War. Taylor describes in great detail what life was like for the African American soldiers whom she would care for during their battles against the rebels of the confederacy. Taylor also shares what her own life was like prior to, during, and after her time as an infantry worker. Taylor’s personal story parallels the lives of many African Americans during the civil war era, and the array of social challenges African Americans were forced to endure day in and day out. As we look into this great recollection of history, it is important to understand the significant influence education had over Taylor. During Taylor’s lifetime, education granted her the ability to survive during her time working for the military, educate those around that were around her, and formulate her own life experiences into literature.
"I could only thank God that I was free and could go forward and work, and I was not obliged to stay at home and weep." These are the words of Sarah Edmonds Seelye, a woman who served in the American Civil War under the guise of a man. Legally, women were not allowed to fight in the civil war, but despite this restriction, it did not stop them from becoming involved. Women took on many different roles in an effort to support the war, from taking different duties at home to having a more personal role. The ones who stayed behind usually took on the duties of the household assigned to their husbands, brothers, or fathers.
Gathering from diaries, newspapers, letters, memoirs, and biographies, Faust depicts specific effects of the American Civil War on southern women, the antebellum social hierarchy of the Confederacy, and the overall upheaval of lives