Role of Women in the American Revolution
Role of Women in the American Revolution
The role of women played in any given war is quite often severely underestimated. This sentiment especially goes for the American Revolutionary War, where women actually played an absolutely essential role in our victory against the British. Not only where there different types of women who had helped, but there were many different ways each of them helped--particularly as nurses to help save lives and tend to injured soldiers. Without women helping in the war, we would have most certainly lost (National History Education Clearinghouse). One way that women helped out in the war was that they went directly to the source--by dressing up as men and going to fight in the front lines, women (e.g. Deborah Samson) were able to help America emerge victorious (“People of the Revolution”). Some women fought in a more subtle manner, by keeping house back home and tending to their husband’s businesses while they were at war (Zitek). They boycotted British products by participating in the Homespun Movement, where they wove their own clothing rather than wearing British-imported dresses, which served as a major act of bold defiance. Other women even acted as spies (e.g. Lydia Darragh in 1777, who eavesdropped on quartered British soldiers and relayed their plans of attack to the American patriots) during the war, helping the patriots win. ("www.revolutionary-war.net"). Different types of women also participated in the Revolutionary War. Patriotic women boycotted against British products, helped care for their husband’s property on the home front, and had even spied on British soldiers ("www.revolutionary-war.net"). However, loyalist women also played a role in counteracting these efforts. Loyalists as well as patriots acted as spies (e.g. Ann Bates, Miss Jenny) and in general posed as an obstacle for the patriotic women (Buesche). As for Native-Americans, Native-American women supported the British, as they knew that a patriotic
The role of women played in any given war is quite often severely underestimated. This sentiment especially goes for the American Revolutionary War, where women actually played an absolutely essential role in our victory against the British. Not only where there different types of women who had helped, but there were many different ways each of them helped--particularly as nurses to help save lives and tend to injured soldiers. Without women helping in the war, we would have most certainly lost (National History Education Clearinghouse). One way that women helped out in the war was that they went directly to the source--by dressing up as men and going to fight in the front lines, women (e.g. Deborah Samson) were able to help America emerge victorious (“People of the Revolution”). Some women fought in a more subtle manner, by keeping house back home and tending to their husband’s businesses while they were at war (Zitek). They boycotted British products by participating in the Homespun Movement, where they wove their own clothing rather than wearing British-imported dresses, which served as a major act of bold defiance. Other women even acted as spies (e.g. Lydia Darragh in 1777, who eavesdropped on quartered British soldiers and relayed their plans of attack to the American patriots) during the war, helping the patriots win. ("www.revolutionary-war.net"). Different types of women also participated in the Revolutionary War. Patriotic women boycotted against British products, helped care for their husband’s property on the home front, and had even spied on British soldiers ("www.revolutionary-war.net"). However, loyalist women also played a role in counteracting these efforts. Loyalists as well as patriots acted as spies (e.g. Ann Bates, Miss Jenny) and in general posed as an obstacle for the patriotic women (Buesche). As for Native-Americans, Native-American women supported the British, as they knew that a patriotic
Citations: Buesche, John. "Spy in a Petticoat." Teaching History. National History Organization Clearinghouse, n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. (Buesche) National History Education Clearinghouse, Browse tech for teachers. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. . (National History Education Clearinghouse) People of the revolution, P.. "Voices of the American Revolution." Deborah Sampson. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. . (“People of the Revolution”) "Revolutionary War Spies." www.revolutionary-war.net. Rose Creek Village, 2010. Web. 24 May 2012. . ("www.revolutionary-war.net") Zitek, C.. "Women in the American Revolution." . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. . (Zitek)