Women In The Civil War

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

The roles women had were vital to the end result of the Civil War. By contributing their skills in the field of nursing and aiding the war effort by being on the battlefield, ladies saved the lives of many men. With these women pushing so hard, the gender barriers were bound to crumble eventually. Now, due to the incredible efforts of women throughout history, girls today have the chance to make their own decisions and live their own

The Civil War were extremely affected the lives of American women. Many handful are disguised as men and jointed the fight, over served aspies and nurses. Many women took the role at home after their husband , brother, and father, were at the war. Thousands of women were enslaved began transition to freedom, beginning new lives surrounded by the war.

Mary Surratt’s position pointed out the changing roles of women in society, particularly during the Civil War where women not only served as nurses but also as soldiers, spies, abolitionists, wearing pants in public. Women particularly working in espionage posed a dilemma for Union soldiers and federal officials. Did they treat them like they would a man? Or did they deserve special treatment because of their

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.

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

The Civil War altered the lives of women, in both the North and South, just as it altered the nation as a whole. Although it is irrefutable that both the North and the South felt the wrath of the war, the South encountered a unique set of troubles that caused the weight of the war to fall predominantly on Southern women. Attempting to understand the experiences of all Southern women during the Civil War does not come without its challenges. It is impossible to connect the stories and experiences of all Confederate women without generalizing their history. However, by narrowing the analysis to a singular concentration of middle and upper class

There were many famous names from the Civil War, some of the more notable names were: Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and George Custer. These names are synonymous with great generals who fought great battles during the war, but what about Sarah Emma Edmonds, Clara Burton, Dorthea Dix, Rose O’Neal Greenhow, and Loreta Janeta Velazquez? These names are not as known as their male counterparts, but these ladies of the Civil War Era did their part to aide their respective sides in the war. What these and other women did during the civil war may not seem as important, but without their skills, knowledge, and actions some of the great battles might have gone the other way.

The diaries and letters left behind by Southern women are the greatest asset in understanding the experiences of the “Confederate woman.” Of course not all Southern women shared identical experiences, the gravity of the war effected women differently largely due to geographic locations, age and social status. However, by tracing specific themes through historical scholarship, Confederate diaries, and letters, it becomes easier to conceive that Southern women took on the heaviest burdens of the war. The first theme consist of Southern women’s entrance into the political discourse of the secession crisis and the subsequent war. The second theme consists of the initial

The American Civil War was a time of great trial and tribulation for the American people. It forced individuals to choose a cause, and many families were torn asunder as they chose opposing sides. As the men marched off to war a small group of women prepared to wage a different kind of warfare. These women became an overlooked but deadly force using espionage and womanly wiles to gather military intelligence for their cause. They used whatever means they had at their disposal to enter into the confidence of men within the opposing side and gain their trust. Women during this period were often overlooked as insignificant and stationary. Women were meant to stay within the home and care for their families needs. However, these extraordinary women rose to answer a more imminent need. These brave women had a profound influence on their cause.

What’s Your Role? “In Analysis: the Role of Women During the Civil War” Laurel Thatcher Ulrich once uttered, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Laurel was a professor at Harvard University and an author. This is very crucial during The American Civil War. The Civil War lasted from 1861-1865.

Both the Union and Confederate armies did not allow the enlistment of women. The women soldiers assumed the role of the man. By disguising themselves as a man, they took up arms and charged into battle (Blanton, 1993, p. 1). It is estimated that about four hundred women disguised their selves to be men and fight in the war (Righthand, 2011). Each of these women had their own reasons to fight, some did it for the salary to support their families, others for the loyalty to the cause, and some just for the excitement.

The Civil War was a conflict fought between the North and the South in the United State over the abolition of slavery. More than three and a half and four million men served in the militaries for both sides and more than six hundred thousand died in the conflict. However, some see this war as “the white men’s war” because many white men from north and south fought to display their manhood and for what they believe. They shaped how a man should view their own masculinity and how to prove their manhood by combat. This conflict not only changed many African American lives, it also revolutionize how females view their gender role, in a given culture, masculine and feminine is closely related to men and women, but since many men went to fight in

The effects that the war had on the women in America were profound. At that time, women still felt as if they were still being unfairly in American society. During the war, the majority of men who were able had to join the forces and fight (Brinkley, pgs. 641-642). As a result of this, women had to step up and fill in for men as many of their jobs were left with no one to complete them. Whether they had

Women, regardless of the opposition, were determined to support their armies and their beliefs even on the battlefield. The North and South armies of the country were fighting without proper organization from their respective governments, leading women to volunteer to help their men in whatever manner they could. Contributing to the war effort, women were “responsible for much of the clothing, feeding, and nursing of the soldiers.”18 Women would cook and do the laundry for the soldiers, working in camps away from the battlefield. Other women would provide comfort for the dying soldiers, nurturing the wounded and staying with the men who were dying until their last moments. Their efforts were to offset the fact that the wounded men were separated from their loved ones and “represented domestic tranquility in the midst of armed conflict.”19 Women were not prohibited from nursing injured soldiers because it was “not yet a profession requiring special training…care of the sick and injured was traditionally a female skill”20. Nursing was not the only important contribution that women provided during the war. They also worked within their communities to make up for the men who had left to fight in the war, managing homes and plantations,