Preview

Women's Role In The American Revolution

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
590 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Women's Role In The American Revolution
The excerpt of the document “The Sentiments of an American Woman” and Discovery Education, suggests that women did have a major role in the American Revolution without actually fighting. They contributed much to the war effort such as taking over the roles of the men and running business and farms. Their love for the public good pushed them to do so. The document gives an outlook on women’s aspects of the Revolution. “ ‘On the commencement of actual war, the Women of America manifested a firm resolution to contribute… to the deliverance of their county’ ” (Discovery Education). The women prove that they wish to provide much of their time to help out with what they believe in; the war. “Our ambition is kindled by the same of those heroines of antiquity, who... have proved to the universe, that... if opinion and manners did not forbid us to march to glory by the same paths as the Men, we should at least equal, and sometimes surpass them in our love for the public good” (Discovery Education). As the quote states, women believe that their …show more content…
Women took over the roles of the men when they were off fighting. They would take over the men’s jobs as shop owners, farmers, and much more. Also “many young girls were spies and messengers for American generals” (Discovery Education). This had a huge impact on what eventually happened in the war. Native Americans were a group who divided themselves between the Patriots and Loyalists, some even chose to stay out of the fight. African Americans mostly sided with the Patriots because of their owners. Some even took the place of their owners in the war and would fight for them. Although the majority was fighting for liberty, a portion of the African Americans fought with the British, hoping to win their freedom, but didn’t cause much destruction because of their loyalty to their

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The role of a women in the American Revolution was originally a supportive spouse. They would tend to household needs and take care of their husbands businesses while they were away at war. Like in the picture “Banner of Washingtion’s Life Guard” she watches the man leave her behind as he goes to war. She is in a dress and is holding on to American symbols behind her which shows that she will be waiting for him to come back. Another painting that shows how women were expected to be is “Liberty in the Form of a Goddess of Youth Giving Support to the Bald Eagle”. She is giving life to the bald eagle by feeding him and crushing the British symbols with her foot. She is holding firm to her beliefs and feeding the bald eagle at the same time. Women…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the Revolutionary War many men fought for their country, but women could not. Many men were remembered for their bravery and courage but many women were not remembered at all. You might remember some women like Abigail Adams or Martha Washington but you don’t know all of them. There were many important women throughout the Revolutionary War who did many things like being the female counterpart of Paul Revere to making the first American flag.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The main point I find after reading the article “Women and the American Revolution” is that women during Revolutionary War times had the same issues as women today with many more piled on top. Many women today are stay at home mothers like the women were then but they have more freedoms now. If a woman wants to serve their county by joining the military it is accepted now but it was not then. Women then were not even expected to give their opinion on many matters. The few women known to have served in the military during the Revolutionary War were said to be disguised as men when they did so.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In her book, Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence, Carol Berkins illustrates to her readers that women, during the American Revolution, played an imperative role, in all respects, during the war. Throughout the American Revolution, women were boycotting goods from Britain, taking over all aspects of the family business, took care of their families and put food on the table, and raised funds, all while the men in their family were being killed in war.…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence by Carol Berkin, is based on the argument that the American Revolutionary War is a story of both men and women. According to Berkin, Women, same as men, played a vital role in freeing the American people from the British colonialists in many ways that most history books never lets out, but even if they ever care to mention, their role is often greatly romanticized. In this book, the author proves that women actually played a critical part in the Revolution by documenting a social history that lays focus on the women of the time. Native Americans, colonial white women, and the African-American women of all social classes, and regardless of the sides they took in the long struggle between the Patriots and the Loyalist have been covered in great details. To cut the long story short, Ms. Berkins has done a stellar job in presenting the…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When people talk about the revolutionary war, they think of a bunch of men fighting. Not many people know that women actually did take part in the war and had a great influence in it. In “Revolutionary Mothers” by Carol Berkin, she writes about all of the different ways that women were affected by the war and how they influenced the war. Berkin explains with detail about the enormous workloads that women had before the war and the way it doubled during the war. The wives and sisters had to step up and take on the role of their men who left to fight in the war. Women were not only emotionally disturbed but physically as well due to the raids and…

    • 2164 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Berkin claims, “In New York City a group of brides-to-be said no to their fiancés, putting a public notice in the local newspaper that they would not marry men who applied for a stamped marriage license” (14). From this example it is evident that women were very involved. Giving up marriage because they refused to pay a British tax shows some women were very devoted. While the revolution took place husbands and older male household members were most likely off fighting in the war. With many of the tasks normally completed by males not being completed, women began to takes these chores, in addition to their own. These jobs varied; some included taking care of children, working in shops, and working on harbors (Berkin 31). Women taking on men’s jobs during the war were great contributions to the success of the war. Without the extra support from females at home everything would have been thrown out of balance. The production of certain goods would not have existed without the hard work at home. Basically, women during the revolution who had determination and involvement in a household can be considered one of the largest contributions to the war. In American in the 1700s it was uncommon for women to join battles or war. Men were thought to protect women from violence and…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book Sophia’s War by Avi, this book was about a young girl named Sophia who stood up to be a spy and was able to get things done, even by herself. In the article, “ Meet the Women of the American Revolution” by Amanda Coletta, is about different women who had impacted society, by doing different duties, to be recognized, not to be insignificant, but to be heroes in the American Revolution and to show that women are just as capable as men. These women share similar characteristics like Sophia. The women who share the same characteristics like Sophia and who have made a huge impact on society, are, Anna Strong, Sybil Ludington, and Emily Geiger, the women who changed History.…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Race and class shaped women’s lives in North America during the Revolutionary Era in many different aspects of their lives. In the textbook and our handouts, there are various different examples of what life was like for these women in the Revolutionary Era. In the letters provided in Through Women’s Eyes:An American History with Documents, we are given primary sources of what women’s lives were like for those of various classes and races. The writings provide us with the insight needed to evaluate how a woman’s race and class impacted the aspects of their lives including the living conditions, education, values and or morals, their roles during the era, working conditions, and their health during this era. During the Revolutionary Era we are…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Their actions on the home front and on the battlefields relieved the men from the extra planning, mobilizing, and combating that they would have had to execute without the help of the women. This allowed the Continental Army to fully concentrate on defeating the British and acquiring sovereignty. America could not have been the powerful independent nation it is today without the service of the women. The truth is, women were fiercely active in the independence cause and made gains for themselves. Nguyen, T, A. “Women in revolution”. Women in the eighteen century have played an important role of ideology, work and sacrifice. Their roles help to expand more opportunities for a better…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Revolutionary War consisted of different “revolutions” for those of minority classes, providing these people with the opportunity of breaking past societal deference and obtaining a voice in society. The increased need for the participation of women, non-landowning men, and slaves in the war allowed increased activism for women, a stake in society for the impoverished, and potential freedom for slaves. However, this short term opportunity excluded Natives, whose struggle since European arrival only worsened as tribes divided and crumbled. Rebel women saw an increase the vitality of their societal and familial roles, spurring a surge of women activism. Mothers, left to take care of their families, were tasked with the critical responsibility of teaching their children to place the wellbeing of the nation on the forefront (PP 30).…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Being a republican mother was the idea that woman were allowed to raise their children to be moral and in terms of political and societal concerns (Kerber, 2002). Women needed to be patriotic, meaning that they still needed to be biologically determined in order to properly educate their offspring. During this time, women had a way of living society. For example, women took part in many activities such as raising money by going door-to-door selling things that she may have made. With that money, they would send it to war efforts to protect the men in their families. During the time of the Revolutionary War, there were a group of women called camp followers, who provide service for their family members that serve in the army such as being nurses, cooked and cleaned, basically anything that cared for the men. Men looked heavily down upon women, which lead to women making great spies not just during the…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 1700’s, women performed all the domestic tasks as they were not seen equal to men. During the Revolutionary War women stepped up and proved that they were not beneath men. Showcasing that they could be as strong as the men and that they weren't just made to cook and be tasteful companions for their husbands. Without women's support in the Revolutionary War, the war wouldn't have been as successful. They managed businesses, became secret soldiers, and opposed British Policies, proving that they could perform tasks just as well as men.…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The women were encouraged to take many parts in the war effort from joining the Army or Navy to taking the men’s old jobs. They did the same work (maybe sometimes more) as the men for less pay than the men used to get. The women also had to deal with feeding their families on rations as food was limited. They had to make very little last a long time which was difficult when they were working very hard as…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The roles played by women and other minority groups during the Revolutionary War were mostly working the house like doing chores and such. “Women at Valley Forge gathered wood, cooked, washed clothes, and nursed the sick, and the injured”(Discovery Education). This shows that the women did things to impact the war. “When their survival at home was threatened by dwindling supplies or enemy advances, women had no choice but to follow the army. Gathering up children, pets, and valuables,…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays