Women's Role In The Civil War

African Americans helped shape the civil war in many ways. In fact, they were basically the underlying cause for the war in the first place. African Americans were slaves and had been treated like property since they first arrived in America. Therefore, the possibility of freedom for these slaves caused a big uproar in the south. The issue of equal rights for African Americans, the country’s ignorance to African American’s abilities and willingness to learn caused a divide between the states. The strong differing opinions about slavery led to what is known as the bloodiest U.S. war of all time.

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.

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.

Most African American women supplied aid to black troops only, but there were few that were able to work in military hospitals wherever permitted. They fulfilled the regular duties of a nurse; they took care of the wounded and sick, went out to the battlefields to rescue the wounded, and even carried some dead off of the field. Another job that African American women held was working as spies and scouts, giving directions and information, and feeding and sheltering soldiers. The women of the South usually assisted white and black soldiers in the Union (Harper 4).

White families in Virginia first confronted the war’s impact with the enlistments of their male kin. To provide food and protect families, men were pulled away from their loved ones to serve in the confederate army. As one Virginia solider put his duty in the war encompassed “the defense of our country, our liberty and the protection of our parent, wives, children, and all that is dear to a man” (encylopediavirginia.org). 50 percent of the male enlisted from Virginia tried to help both families and the confederacy. But it was of no use.

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 South vs. The South by William Freehling is a narrative that focuses on the civil war that affected a vast number of Southerners who opposed the Confederacy regardless of whether they were white or black. These ?anti-Confederates,? as termed by Freehling comprised Slaves and Boarder state whites who together formed half the southern population and were significant to the Union victory. By weakening the Confederacy military, contributing manpower and resources to the Union and dividing the southern home front, the anti-Confederates made a critical contribution to the Union war efforts that hastened the end of the war leading to the Union?s victory. The U.S was not the only house that was divided; Divisions between pro-and anti-Confederates, white and black, and the loyalty of both upper and lower states to slavery contributed a lot to the downfall of the confederates. ?Divisions within the South helped pave the path toward war. The same divisions behind army lines helped turn the war against the slaveholders.?(p.10). William Freehling argues that more than 450,000 Union troops from the South, especially southern blacks and border state whites, helped in the defeat of the confederates. Further, when the southern Border States rejected the Confederacy, more than a half of the South?s capacity swelled the North?s advantage.

During this time African Americans served as an underlying issue to the civil war but personally there seemed to be little apprehension about their actual development and progression in society. Initially, Negroes’ attitudes and contributions to the Civil War and their desire for freedom were major factors in their struggle with white America. Obviously, there were various circumstances that described African American lifestyles; being broken down to North vs. South or Freed slaves vs. Slaves, but the main

Race was a heated issue in the 1800’s, which finally broke into the Civil War. Black men young and old wanted desperately to be allowed to fight for their own stake in this war. This paper helps to describe the climate surrounding this issue and the changes that gave way allowing for black men to serve.

African Americans were a very important addition to the American Civil War such as fighting and spying for both the north and the south sides. The American Civil War was a war fought in the United States between the North and South states. The war was from 1861-1865 and was because the South wanted to establish itself as a separate nation. The northern states were called the Union and the southern states were called the Confederate. Between the north and south states were the Border States, which did not belong to either of the sides. The Border States included Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri. In the north, slavery did not exist but the south was the opposite. In the war, the north and south states fought against each other while the Border States were neutral. Before the war and during the war, African Americans were treated very unfairly compared to white people. This essay will examine how African Americans were treated before, during and after the Civil War.

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.

The African Americans were used in non combat roles by the Confederate and Union armies because extra men and women were needed for the jobs supporting the army when there wasn't enough support. These jobs were feeding livestock and soldiers, providing and manufacturing ammunition, and being nurses and doctors, and building and fortifying walls (African). The livestock and soldiers ate and drank a lot and needed to be fed and have food prepared for them. Ammunition was used profusely by soldiers, and it needed to be made and distributed rapidly, so that the soldiers would not run out of ammunition. The soldiers got injured and killed very often and usually hospitals were packed. The hospitals needed extra nurses and doctors because they could not keep up with all of the death and injury. The Confederate Army used their slaves to build and fortify walls. The Union army would hire African Americans and Whites to build and fortify walls. Both armies used African Americans as messengers, and if a messenger was found by the other army, they could lose very valuable information, and their life. Messengers were usually not used by the Confederate army, because they were not trusted; The Confederates believed the slaves would run off to the north with valuable information. In Conclusion, non combat roles played a big role in the outcome of the civil war because the Union trusted the African Americans to do their

The Civil War Africans that participated in the Civil War were major contributors to the cause and were even one of the main reasons that America won the war overall. Since the beginning of America, there have been African Americans that have been put to the test of defending our country. Whether they wanted to or not, they had to bear an arm to defend

Today I interviewed John W. Hinson, a farmer from the south,who operated as a Confederate partisan sniper against Union forces in the Between-the-Rivers region of Tennessee and Kentucky during the American Civil War. I asked him a couple questions that he was more than happy to answer. Mr. Hinson said the union winning the civil war was a big mistake because it gave people of color false hope that they would be equals with the obviously superior white race. He also expressed that the war began created propaganda about slavery being abolished. He continued to say that the propaganda was crazy considering colored people were just property. John Winson says that he plays a major role in the economy and for many hungry folks in his community. He

The Union victory in the Civil War was short lived by most African American veterans. They soon realized they were not considered equal and completely free in America. They did not receive special treatment for risking their lives in the war. The war was one of unity of the nation versus emancipation. Yet, the country was still divided. The ex-confederate states showed zero respect for African American veterans, they still saw them as slaves who did not deserve freedom. African Americans were fighting against them in the war and played a major part in helping the Union win the war.