Women's Role In The American Revolution

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.

Linda Kerber’s Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America was a refreshing historian analysis of the role of women in our nation’s history. In the early Revolution eras, the political role of women was nonexistent due to the traditional roles held by the patriarchal society the colonists lived in for most of their years. Kerber intertwined her book with an intelligent analysis, but also conveys this analysis in a clear way so that reader can comprehend further. Throughout the book, chapters divide each segment of women’s rights by explaining the slow, but progressive build of them. The exploration of womens rights in Women of the Republic is developed by each opportunity opened during the American Revolution.

The American Revolution was a colonial revolt in which America fought for its independence from Britain. Several groups of people stepped up to contribute during the Revolution that deserve a great deal of recognition. Beginning with women, who in spite of their low position in society still served in a variety of ways. Women took on the roles of men when men were away at war. There were women who were bold enough to serve on the battlefield alongside men. They were determined to prove that they were just as capable of doing what men could do. African Americans, both free and enslaved, also served in the Continental Army. African Americans fought bravely and eagerly, as some even ended up becoming heroes. They were willing to be a helping hand and would even lie to be able to fight for America’s independence as well as their own. Foreigners were another group who supported America by providing trainers and leaders. Foreigners also supported America financially to get the army the supplies it needed. Without the help or support of all these different groups of people, America may not have won its independence.

Some of the people and revolutionary heroes in the war were women, George Washington, Paul Revere, and slaves. When men left to fight, women had new roles and jobs to do. When the women worked as carpenters, farmers, and shipbuilders, they must have been very successful because since most of the men were gone, they could do as much as they needed. They took over the jobs that men used to do. For example, women farmed, carpenters, and built ships. Some of the wives followed their husbands in the war and did new jobs in it. In the war, the jobs that they

Many women contributed in the Revolutionary War but not many are given enough credit. Woman who had followed the army were referred to as “camp followers”. Females who followed Washington’s army were seeking safety, shelter, food, and work. They need the army and though Washington and other soldiers did not like to admit it, the army needed them. Now I’m going to speak about some of the role the female soldiers played in the Revolutionary War.

Women in the Revolution by Mary Beth Norton explains the hardships that women faced during the American Revolutionary War. Throughout the writing it is explained women’s role in the Revolution and how they impacted the lives of others. In the writing it explains specific groups of women and how they were influenced by the war. Throughout the war women faced just as many difficulties as those who were fighting in the war. The efforts of women in the revolutionary war were very important in the course of women’s civil rights.

Women have played an instrumental role in every American conflict from the Revolutionary War to today complex battlefields. A major turning point for women’s rights was the establishment of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. WAAC soldiers fought to gain legitimacy within the military and overcome social biases. Their professionalism and determination paved the way forward for women’s integration into one all military branches. The best way to illustrate women’s integration is to start back in colonial times.

The American Revolution, as many would assume, changed the lives of several groups of people both politically and socially. Depending on the group of people, the revolution either improved or diminished the quality of life for some. When looking at the quote, "The American Revolution was not truly revolutionary. Unlike later revolutions in France, Haiti, Russia, China, and Cuba, the American Revolution did not result in broad changes in American society,” I agree with this statement when examining women before, during and after the revolution. Though, women were the group of people who worked the most, they received the least. The American Revolution did not grant women the rights and liberties they fought hard to acquire, even with the subtle changes that only continued to oppress them. During the revolution, while men were away women were the ones who took over many of their responsibilities such as farm and shop work. They aided male soldiers with simple yet important necessities such as military weapons, food and health care.

Women had many roles in the Revolutionary War. Some women worked as nurses, cooks and maids and others just worked at home. When an opportunity came to explore the outside world and feel more appreciated for the work that was being put in, many took advantage of that opportunity. Women who were nurses and caregivers were really helpful because they helped to discover new ways to treat and care for people who were sick. I would say women were definitely motivated in participating because they wanted a change in the way women were viewed. Men always got most of the credit, and women wanted to receive the credit they deserved back.

The American Revolution was a fight for independence. This battle was fought for eight-years with men on the forefront, and women in the background. The colonial woman was a homemaker. She cooked meals, made clothing, and doctored the family. At this time in America, men felt that women were beneath them and could not perform the man’s duties. However, homemakers went behind the scenes of the battlefield, and assisted in a number of different jobs. These jobs, to name a few, included being nurses, seamstresses, cooks, maids, laundresses, water bearers, soldiers and spies. Unbeknownst to the men, women would actually be needed and play a vital role in this war.

When you hear of war you think of soldiers, however, there's more contributors to war than just soldiers there are people in the background that help too. some of them are women, they were nurses,cooks,maids all for the soldiers. without the women their would be no war, women's roles in war were significant.

As the movement for American independence began. Women’s roles continued to change. Though they were still primarily responsible for caring for their families and tending to their homes, they also began to take an active role in the Revolution. Women on both sides of the political spectrum, whether patriot or loyalist, faced significant challenges that would undoubtedly change the course of their lives

Equality of the sexes was an idea that was unheard of prior to the Revolutionary War due to the widely-held belief that women were inferior to men. Before the war, women tended to engage in household chores and fundamentally had no rights. Men were a predominant part of all aspects of life in Colonial America including political, social, and economic matters. Women played a significant role in the American Revolution due to their constant concern to fight for what they believed in, which is independence from Great Britain. Before the revolution, women were considered the weaker sex, both physically and mentally, which resulted in many women’s lack of independence in both social and political matters. Although the revolution did not provide

“Fighting….maybe for freedom, but probably not” was an indication of just how “revolutionary” the Revolution War era was for women. As America was going through a new estate with the legacy of the revolution, and striving for a new national governance, opportunities arose for both men and women. During the revolutionary era, woman showed achievements in war and education. Although, women developed a new consciousness that increased opportunities to influence public life, it was often limited and ridiculed by women’s traditional roles to society.

During and after the American Revolution men stressed the idea that women are less intelligent and less important in society; they have their certain roles and they should not have a role in the creation of the new republic. When the American Revolution ended, women became feminists, women who saw themselves as independent and believed they deserved just as many rights as men, or they became the ideal republican woman who was beautiful, rich, had many children, and stayed at home. In this Republican society that the men were trying to create, woman were supposed to be responsible for teaching the children to be religious and to be good people. Many woman and some men did not agree with this idea. Those women are the ones that brought the most radical change to this group. One