Women of the Civil War
The Civil War is a very important part of American history – simply put, it determined what kind of nation the United States would be. The Civil War resolved whether the United States is what determined the survival of the Union or whether the Confederacy would gain independence. It is the battle that determined whether the largest slaveholding country in the world would continue to exist as such since it thrived on the fundamental idea that “all men are created with an equal right to liberty.” Many men were drafted and put their lives on the line during the war to fight for the freedom or the right to own slaves. The men were not the only individuals affected by the war; it significantly affected the lives of many
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Other women would serve as spies for the states or work as nurses on the battlefields. Many women, however, took on roles at home while their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers left to fight in the war. Free women were not the only women individuals affected by the war. It was the war that was fighting for the freedom of slaves and thousands of enslaved women began transitioning to being a free woman. Women played many roles during this time and refused to sit waiting for the men in their lives to come back home from battle. No matter what roles/duties they took on, it redefined the traditional role of a housewife and mother than women normally played and their importance in the war effort was very significant.
It is speculated that there were hundreds of women that served as spies for both sides during the Civil War. What these women would do was gather valuable information from the military by flirting with male soldiers. They smuggled supplies, medicine, and ammunition across enemy line by hiding everything underneath their skirts. A Confederate spy named Emeline Pigott would gather information by entertaining Union soldiers at parties she held in her own home. She would pass this information along to the Confederate army by leaving secret messages in hiding spots or by crossing enemy lines and delivering messages by hand. However, not many women spies would get away with it, and were quickly caught and arrested. It was their “unladylike” acts of
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.
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
Women wanted to be able to do more in the war. They tried to find ways to work
The women during the war felt an obligation to assist in one form or another. Many
Women played an important role during the American Civil War but it wasn't until 100 years afterwards that they received recognition. Even today history books skip over the important roles women had during the Civil War. Wives, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers impacted the War both at home and on the battlefield. Their lives changed in many ways with the onset of the Civil War. Women took on many different roles that helped their side during the Civil War.
The Civil War altogether influenced the lives of American ladies. A modest bunch camouflaged themselves as men and joined the battle. Others served as spies and nurses. Numerous more tackled new parts at home after their spouses, siblings, and fathers reacted to the invitation to battle. A large number of oppressed ladies started the move to flexibility, starting new lives in the midst of the revulsions of war. By war's end, the amazing loss of life of roughly 620,000 officers had left endless ladies in grieving. Contrasted with past eras, American ladies in general had enhanced their instructive standing, secured extra lawful rights, and procured more noteworthy access to made merchandise by the mid-1800s. Ladies had taken part conspicuously
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.
While the Civil war was going on, women decided not to stand around and not do anything, they took action into their own hands. Some stood up and fought right alongside the men in the war. While the men did not know it, women secretly disguised themselves as men and altered their names to be in the army. Some women acted as spies against their side to feed their own side information about battle plans and strategies for the war. For the women that didn’t fight in the war, they took up jobs that the men regularly had to earn
The women who tried to enlist were kicked out. Women would chop off their hair and trade their dresses in for guns so that they could fight for what they believed was best for our country. People were very judgmental about the women were willing to enlist before they disguised themselves. The men and other women thought that those girls were mentally unbalanced or prostitutes. Some would say that those women had unadulterated patriotism (Dillard).
They did multiple things in the war; including providing supplies, sewing uniforms, and providing medical assistance. They put in their time and used their talents to supply the basic necessities to the men fighting in the war (“Healing the Wounds: Medicine and Sanitation”). Some women would even fight alongside men, by disguising themselves. One of these brave women was Mary Steve Jenkins. She had enlisted in Pennsylvania, while still in school, and joined the army for two whole years. As written in, “Living Through the Civil War,” she says she, “...received several wounds, and was then discharged-without anyone ever realizing she was female,” (Rees, p. 56,57). Although women had to go to extreme measures to assist in the war in ways like fighting, they still chose to do so. Another very influential woman in the Civil War was Clara Barton (1821-1912), who was also known as “the angel of the battlefield.” She helped a great deal with nursing and aided with collecting supplies to bring to battlefields and hospitals. After the war had ended, Clara was still helping in many ways; “Barton is also known for her postwar campaign to have the United States join the International Red Cross,” (“Healing the Wounds: Medicine and Sanitation”). Working alongside Clara was another important woman: Dorothea Dix (1802-1887), who was a nurse for the Union. She was well known, even before the war, because of the
The roles of women in society have always been a topic for debate. Some think women should be in the kitchen cooking meal and having lots children. Others feel that women can contribute to society in ways that are not a part of the family home, but outside the in board rooms and operating rooms. This paper is going to argue how chauvinistic thoughts of women helped propel the female gender into great spies during the civil war. During the era of the civil war attitudes of women spying during a war was unheard of; women are often over looked as valuable associates in war efforts. Chauvinistic thoughts of women helped propel some into outstanding spies during the Civil War.
Women disguised themselves as men and fought alongside them. Joining the Civil War as women became much known even the government became aware of the uprising. The Women in our history paved the way for women in our present day to serving willingly. A women's duty in society leading into the Civil War era was domesticity.
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 American Civil War was the deadliest battle fought on American soil. The war caused nearly everyone to do whatever they could to help the side that they chose. This included men, women, and children. While women were a part of earlier wars, there was an increase of women in the Civil War that wanted to do their part. Women played a great role in the Civil War as nurses, spies, and soldiers.
The civil war was a tragic war, Many people fought and lost their lives to give us freedom. The civil war was not supposed to happen, Abraham wanted freedom and wanted everyone to be friends and get along but some people didn’t like what he wanted so they went to war to fight for it. The civil war happened in the year 1861-1865, During the war 620,000 people lost their lives fighting for the country. This passage is not only about the civil war but it is about women’s rights and It tells the reader about how the sneaky they were during the civil war.