The Changing Role Of Women In The Civil War

The Civil War affected the majority of people living in the battling states. Men, determined to fight for their home front, left their families with little hesitation. The Civil War not only marked a significant time in history, but it also marked a shift in the roles of women. Women had been forced to live amongst the restrictions placed on them because of their gender. They weren’t offered the same opportunities, rights, or jobs as men. The Civil War was one of the stepping stones that started the process of changing this. The American Civil War impacted women in that it provided them jobs in fields including nursing,as well as allowing them to secretly enlist as soldiers by impersonating men, and allowing them take on roles at home that
Before the Civil War, women were facing dilemmas concerning their individual rights. Leading up to the war, the Seneca Falls Convention was established. This was the first convention concerning women's’ rights, led by Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Women had still not obtained the right to vote and this convention allowed women to discuss their right to petition the government, which they could do. The Civil War showed that women were significant and important regarding the new duties they had to undertake. The majority of women affected by the war were married. They felt they should do the most they could at home, while their husbands were off fighting on behalf of them. One of the most important jobs these women could do were volunteer as nurses for the war. Their duties would include tending to injured soldiers, collecting and dispensing medical supplies, and providing emotional support. Dorothea Dix, a noteworthy female of her time, was given the position of superintendent of nurses. She set a respectable example for women, that they could handle responsibilities given to them and could do more
Housekeepers, laundresses, personal servants, and chefs were all needed to create a better, more comfortable environment for the soldiers. More specific jobs included reading to soldiers, writing letters for them, or cleaning their weapons. Some women even served as spies. They were quite successful since no one at the time was suspicious of women. These women spies found ways to retrieve and secure information and pass it along to their homeland. The information ranged from the opposing sides battle strategy to the types and sizes of supplies they had obtained. Women would secretly put messages, supplies, and medicine under their substantial hoop skirts and corsets. There is no confirmed number of women spies in the Civil War but there was suspected to have been