Revolutionary American Women

“Let the daughters of Liberty, nobly arise” During the Revolutionary War, women who had previously been politically inactive took charge. They formed organized groups that involved themselves in multiple activities that helped support their yearning for American Independence, a nation apart from the British. In addition to organizing alliances of women activists, weaving their own clothing, and boycotting British tea, they also discontinued purchases of British imported goods altogether, which was a significant attribute to the independence of the American colonies. By refusing to use imported British goods, and encouraging others to abstain from them, these women proved to the British, as well as the rest of the colonists, that liberation
A traditional, household “chore” developed into a form of political activism. By spinning their own thread, and weaving their own cloth, they were able to become less reliant on British textiles, which in itself helped them become sovereign. To them, freedom was a source of pride, that patriotism and a knack for sewing would prove them independent. “…but what is the Produce of their own Country, and to appear as much as possible clothed with our own Manufactures, and that more especially which is the effects of their own Labour…” To produce enough cloth for an entire nation, several organizations of women would collect a sort of fee from their local citizens. “…have been collected upwards of 60,000 dollars—that a considerable part of the sums collected has been laid out in the purchase of linen and a thousand shirts are already made up…” Linen was an especially handy purchase. It could be made into a shirt for anyone, particularly a soldier. “….the purchasing of coarse Linen to be made into Shirts, with the whole amount of their subscription. A Shirt extraordinary to the soldier will be of more service, and do more to preserve his health than any other thing that could be procured him…” America was uniting itself, simply by the production of
Because of this new found “freedom”, the women handled affairs as well as the organization itself almost religiously. “The provincial deputies of North Carolina having resolved [agreed] not to drink any more tea nor wear any more British cloth etc., many ladies of this province have determined to give a memorable proof of their patriotism, and have accordingly entered into the following honorable and spirited association…” At one point, they even “proposed to have the city divided into ten districts, nearly equal in extent, and to invite three or four ladies in each of these districts to go to every house in their ward, to present each woman and girl, without any distinction, a paper…” The activists were not only concerned, but also earnest and disciplined, which led to neat, organized advertising and handling of affairs. This proved effective not only for the organization(s) (The Edenton Ladies, Boston Ladies, etc.,) , but also the American Revolution in its entirety. Before the 1770s, political resistance was common, but an organized women’s movement was not. Victory was nothing more than a plan and a convincing