American Revolution Women's Roles Essay
The American Revolution was a war between colonists and the British that depended on women and their roles to carry out their many duties for the men in the war. This war brought much danger into the lives of the women and men in America. Americans faced scarcity, death, and poverty. During the American Revolution, women, while battling racial and class boundaries, faced many dangers such as rape and destruction of their homes, while serving as caregivers, helpmates, nurses, cooks, maids, and soldiers to both the colonists and the British.
Women served many different roles during the American Revolution, and also served both the colonists and the British in each of these roles. Originally, women served traditionally as only wife and mother, …show more content…
The skill sets that the women had were essential to everyone living during the American Revolution. As helpmates, women had to focus on skills that surrounded the house, garden, and hen house, where they would spend their time “processing the raw materials their husbands produced into usable items such as food, clothing, candles, and soap” (6). The role of women is very important throughout the American Revolution because men needed them to do tasks they couldn’t do while they were at war. Eventually, these women got “caught between the older ideal of ‘notable housewife’ and the newer ideal of ‘pretty gentlewoman’” (8). Although not very happy about it, the women needed to serve the men in order to have places to live and not risk …show more content…
One danger was the destruction of their homes and properties as strategies to pull information from the victims or to see if families were spying in favor of the enemies (38). Women spent a majority of their time working on their homes and properties but feared the possibility of their homes being destroyed, whether by the British or by themselves. Since women were considered part of the political minority, there was a lack of support from neighbors, family members, and friends when the mob decided to attack in Pennsylvania and the Carolinas
Women served many different roles during the American Revolution, and also served both the colonists and the British in each of these roles. Originally, women served traditionally as only wife and mother, …show more content…
The skill sets that the women had were essential to everyone living during the American Revolution. As helpmates, women had to focus on skills that surrounded the house, garden, and hen house, where they would spend their time “processing the raw materials their husbands produced into usable items such as food, clothing, candles, and soap” (6). The role of women is very important throughout the American Revolution because men needed them to do tasks they couldn’t do while they were at war. Eventually, these women got “caught between the older ideal of ‘notable housewife’ and the newer ideal of ‘pretty gentlewoman’” (8). Although not very happy about it, the women needed to serve the men in order to have places to live and not risk …show more content…
One danger was the destruction of their homes and properties as strategies to pull information from the victims or to see if families were spying in favor of the enemies (38). Women spent a majority of their time working on their homes and properties but feared the possibility of their homes being destroyed, whether by the British or by themselves. Since women were considered part of the political minority, there was a lack of support from neighbors, family members, and friends when the mob decided to attack in Pennsylvania and the Carolinas