Summary Of Elenor Flexner's Century Of The Struggle

Women in the nineteenth century were beginning to liberate themselves. Thus, when the Civil War came along, many women were not content to sit home and set up fund-raisers for the cause. According to the book “Century Of The Struggle” by Elenor Flexner “The influx of women into teaching and their entrance into government offices data from Civil War. Thousands more broke away from stove and laundry tub to look for work in the cities or to do the heavy manual labor required to keep the family homestead going as recorder by Anna Howard Shaw”(106). As a result women began to unchain there chains and began to become fearless. Mrs. Flexner gives us some great examples of women that help and contributed the soldiers during the Civil War (110); for instance: Dorothea Dix known for her work in reforming prisons and insane asylums, at the age of sixty, head of the nursing service in the Union army hospitals(110). The “Mothers” Bickerdyke and Clara Barton, who saw the
possibility of saving many lives by following closely after the battle-lines. Very admirable, since these women were searching for decades of their adult life for a satisfying purpose for their existences (111). Louisa May Alcott’s volunteer as a nurse and die from a typhoid fever. On the other hand, the book “Before They Could Vote” stated by Julia Watson wrote part of the American women’s during the civil war, on her book she wrote over 20 biographies; however, I chose few such as; Sarah Edmonds, passed themselves off as men to act as soldiers during battle. It is estimated that hundreds of women pretended to be men to join the army. A few women acted as spies, the most famous of them was Harriet Tubman and Rose “Wild Rose” Greenhow, who worked for the Confederate Army. Other women acted as maids and cooks for different brigades while at camp. These women tried to encourage troops at times of battle. The women on the battlefields were the only ones who took care of men who were dying.

Even though many women contributed, the laws of the congress during that time obligated women most of them wives, to volunteer and work for them while their husbands were gone. According to Mrs. Flexner Women “Women were available to employers looking for cheap labor or war-time volunteers while their husbands were gone” (133) .Women had to take over the jobs that were usually held by men also they had learned to take charge while their husbands were gone, most of them were unpaid housewives. Cannot imagine all the suffering, impotency, and pain, they felt, since the duties usually done by women were neglected. How could this even be possible?

Mrs.
Flexner explained us on her book “Century of Struggle” how women contributed to the Civil War by becoming soldiers, spies, and spending time and energy healing the sick and wounded. According to her book “women frustrated by their limitations in society entered into the army as soldiers. Approximately 400 women tied up their hoops and pulled up pants to serve”(145). The women of the Civil War are best remembered for their colorful hoop skirts. Perhaps it is hard to imagine how the women soldiers successfully managed to enlist. The women first picked male names; it was probably really easy to enlist in the army because recruiters, both Northern and Southern, did not ask for proof of identity. These women soldiers bound their breasts, cut their hair, and learned how to smoke cigars, and some even wore false mustaches. With loose uniforms and lack of facial hair the women could pass as young men. Women soldiers deserve remembrance because their actions display them as uncommon and
revolutionary. On the other hand, we have woman who fought against the laws and congress. Stated by Eric Foner on his book “Give Me liberty” describes a group of intelligent woman who never stop believing and created a feminist union were woman become strong and herd “No less than black, proclaimed Elizabeth Candy Stanton, women had arrived at a transition period, from slavery to freedom. Freedom from sex as well as race and to bury the black man and women in the citizen”(577). Elizabeth Candy Stanton, not only wanted equality and freedom for women but she also saw the possibility to abolish slavery. Therefore, the liberation of four million black people from slavery revolutionized the postwar political world. American racism, the abolition of slavery seemed a miracle. Slavery’s final defeat encouraged reformers’ hopes for greater changes in the future. As result of that Elizabeth and her crew was in total excitement. Corresponding to the book “Feminism and Suffrage” by Ellen Carol Dubois “Elizabeth Stanton’s said the millennium is on the way, millennial vision was more exact. Out of the struggle we must come higher ideas of liberty, and a rotten aristocracy crushed forever, replying I have no misgivings about the result” (53). Despite Civil War they fought strong against injustices and saw abolish of slavery as a positive result for them. However, congress still did not want them to have any power at all and decline their rights. However, the feminist union were optimist and as the time went by they were achieving more power, while they associated with black suffrage. Mrs. Dubois recall “Black and Women suffrage was structured into Equal Rights Association, most of this activist and spokespeople were women and abolitionist” (62).Women distinguished themselves and have made representative of the patriotism for themselves. Women began questioning the role they played in society, and began demanding equal opportunities. The battle for women's right has existed for many years earlier. According to Mrs. DuBois “Women, such as Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, dedicated their lives to help meet equality. They formed the National Woman's Suffrage Association, which eventually they succeeded by gaining women the right to vote. They changed the way the world viewed women. They spoke out on equal rights issues, calling it their "inalienable rights”” (107). After much struggle, the 19th Amendment was passed giving women the right to vote. This marked only beginning of the struggle yet to come. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton sparked the controversial battle that continued well into the next century, and gave women the motivation needed to finally meet what they were fighting for. After few years women and black people finally reached their goals; however, injustices and inequality even in modern times have not an ending.

In conclusion, from the beginning, women were always struggling to gain status, respect, and rights in their society, it was hard for them to find power since pretty much everything was denied for them, later during that time women were killed since the white supremacy considered them as witches, but the truth was that most wealthy women were killed due to the ignorance of the white man, blocking every way they could so woman would not succeed or become inferior to man. Woman’s role in society seen as someone who cooked, cleaned, and gave birth. The years during and after the war marked a turning point in the battle for equality. Women, for once, were seen as individuals with capabilities outside the kitchen, and we're for the first time they had a chance to prove others wrong. The war offered women opportunity never given to them before. The war has given women a chance to show what they can do in the world, and they have done well. Women worked in fields that prior to the war seemed only suitable for men. They held positions such as manufactures of heavy machinery, to welders in a shipyard. This new employment opening also, for the first time, gave women a salary of their own. Women received better pay, improved and new skills, and the self-esteem that comes with receiving income, freedom, opportunity and higher education. Women were given a chance to make their own decisions, without the advice or support of their husbands. The Civil War changed many lives. Women across the nation were less than willing to give it back and return to their old way of life, the Civil Rights Act was passed the following year, which further extended the laws prohibiting one’s occupation due to sex, by also prohibiting wage discrimination, job classification, promotion, and training. Women’s battle for equality also existed outside the workforce. Women fought for equal rights anyway they knew how. They wanted to end discrimination not only at work, but at home, and in every part of their society. To carry out this, women began to take place in marches and spoke out against inequality. Individual women worked hard to meet their goal. Despite all the increasing number of women in the workforce, women on a whole still earn less, and still hold traditional female positions, such as nurses, clerks, and secretaries. In addition, an average male income is well above a female. However, American women are working in a greater diversity of jobs than ever before. For the first time in history, women are holding jobs that were never seen fit for a female. In addition, although, females as a whole stay at a distant disadvantage in many aspects of life, they have still gone a long way from the days of the kitchen. The fight for equality is far from over, but has much progressed. This new era of equality has brought on a world of change for females. Women for the first time in histories are being accepted in society, are given the right to decide, Women are able to do jobs that back in the time were impossible to achieve; slowly women are getting closer to the congress, yet we have not women as a president; but every four-year we are getting closer. Therefore, other countries for instance Argentina, had a woman as a president meaning that women are open their ways and becoming powerful slowly