Getting horribly wounded in the jaw and chest and getting disabled in the left arm sounds terrible doesn’t it? Well guess who survived that- Margaret Cochran Corbin. This essay will tell all about Margaret’s early life, adult life and contribution to the Revolutionary War!…
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…
While historians have comprehensively investigated Southern women and middle-class Northern women during the Civil War, there has been relatively little research on the working-class, rural, or African American women in the North. In her book, Army at Home, Giesberg exposes the shortcomings of this traditional historiography. Through the examination of letters, petitions, and lawsuits Giesberg is able to capture the stories of these marginalized Northern women while providing readers with a thematic, rather than chronological, approach in…
In the book Soldier’s Heart there is a boy named Charley Goddard. Charley Goddard was only fifthteen. he went into the Civil War but he lied about his age. In the book it says about the Civil War that Charley did not think it was going to be that bad, no one thought it was going to be that bad. In the Civil War they did not have good food. Charley thinks at first that the Civil War is boring. In the Civil War they had to do drills and manual of arms. when they did this they had to work in the hot sun. Before the Civil War they have to be trained, but training was hard. they had to march, wheeling,do drills, and fak loading for training. At first Charley Goddard thought that the Civil War was going to be different. Massey said “ it’ll be all…
What if...what if women were not allowed to enlist in any military? What if they couldn’t be electricians, engineers, not even get the education that men get? What if we were not treated equally? I am Loretta Walsh, you might also know me as Loretta Perfectus Walsh. On April 22, 1896 a blush-faced newborn baby had just come into this world. That little girl was me. I grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with an impossible dream at the time of my childhood. Little did I know, that after many years passed, that dream would come true. On January 31, 1917 Germany had announced that they would resume unrestricted warfare on all ships, including American ships.…
From April 12, 1861 to May 9th, 1865 the United States of America was engaged in the Civil War. An estimated 620,000 soldiers died. After each battle it was evident that provisions and care was needed for soldiers falling victim to their wounds. As a volunteer, Clara Barton took a courageous stand by collecting and distributing supplies in her home and in warehouses, and later was given permission to nurse the wounded on the battlefiled.…
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…
The popular outlook of the American Civil War is that the Confederacy was defeated by the Union Army with the combined leadership of Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman. They lost because of the Union’s overwhelming manpower and economic advantages. However, there is more to it than just that. In the book Confederate Reckoning, author Stephanie McCurry states that the Confederate States of America did themselves in due to structural issues within their society. The book presents a “political history of the unfranchised” referring to Southern slaves and wartime women. Ironically, the most underrepresented groups would be one of the downfalls of the Confederacy. Slaves and women became unexpected consequences for the Confederacy as the government was forced to…
Men were angered and wanted to join the militia to defend their new nation while women were afraid of the dangers of war. They knew about war but only from afar. Women understood this was a home front war and their husbands, brothers, and fathers were going to participate. Many women opposed this and blamed the draft workers for convincing their men to leave and basically commit suicide because they weren’t sure if they would make it. Aside from worrying about their husbands, they still had to tend to their everyday duties, add their husband’s duties, and make sure that their children and homes were safe from the relentless British men. The British men would enter the American women’s homes and raid them. Many even threatened to kill them. And just like any other situation, many other women encouraged men to fight and pushed for the revolution. Whichever they chose, to encourage or oppose, they all faced the unbearable loneliness at the end of the day. They all struggled to maintain their homes and have something for when the men came home. They even went to extremes to get whatever little resources they could get. The British soldiers were violent when they invaded the homes. Some soldiers would arrive drunk and shooting their guns, which resulted in many accidental deaths. Although, that quickly escalated to more dangerous situations, “British forces committed conscious acts of fierce brutality”…
In 1861 the United States began a Civil War. The thousands of wounded and dead quickly created a unique demand that had never been seen before in the history of the United States; the need for disaster relief. Clara Barton, a shy woman with no formal training, took the initative to gather supplies and administer aid to the wounded on the battlefield. Clara Barton's extraordinary ability to identify people who were underserved and easily forgotten continued after the Civil War aiding the families of dead and missing soldiers, and later establishing the American Association of the Red Cross. Clara Barton took a stand when others were falling and needed…
Revolutionary by Alex Meyers is a historical fiction story about a brave and powerful woman named Deborah Sampson. Throughout history women have been pushed aside by men who believe women are enable of fighting in wars. Even though this is the case women throughout history have proved to men that they are stronger and more able than most to do the job men are supposed to do. In the revolutionary war, there are maybe a dozen known women including Deborah Sampson who are given glory to their part in the war. Even though there are only about a dozen women that are recognized for what they did, there were probably way more who had a part in America’s victory. This gender construction women have been faced with is something that has been hard for women to overcome even in society today. In Revolutionary, Alex Meyers depicts how women had to hide their identity just to have part in a war that determined their future. He shows throughout his book the gender construction that women faced back then, and it is still a problem in society today.…
Clinton first introduces the world in which Harriet Tubman lived in. The book also delves into the topics of social history of American slavery and the antislavery movement, and how Harriet Tubman greatly fought for this cause. Clinton tells the story of Tubman’s struggles and her life around the greater battle for emancipation that was occurring in America. Clinton provides a general overview of conditions for slaves along the Eastern shore; and how Harriet must have lived during her early life. Harriet Tubman was very much an ordinary woman, with the normal complexities of ordinary life. However, her extraordinary accomplishments are how she is remembered today. However, Harriet Tubman endured travails that all human beings endure. However, what made Harriet Tubman so extraordinary was her strength and courage in facing the realities of life, and the dangers she exposed herself to be very real. Her character truly defines and speaks volumes about who she truly was, rather than her…
Though the Union and Confederate soldiers both fought for the victory of their nations, each side had its own reasoning and purpose for doing so. Soldiers relied on their families from home and in battle for encouragement. They wanted to fight not only for their nation, but for their family at home. They didn't want to let them down, alongside of their nation. Their family in regiments was just as beloved. They all felt the same pain and pride, therefore becoming closer to one another. They'd watch each other win and watch each other die. Backing out of it was the last thing they wanted to do and be considered a coward. Soldiers had rather die of honor than live a coward. They were all in it together and that bond with each other kept them from giving up. The leaves that were given gave those enlisted a break from the soldier life for a short period, which was a great privilege. The problem was that the leaves were abused and soldiers wouldn't come back when their time was up, therefore being a deserter. The government wasn't in control enough to do anything about the deserters.…
The November 30th lecture states, “Women were not allowed to put on equipment and pick up a gun.” (November 30th). In addition, DuBois stated, “Action and leadership were reserved for men. Inspiration and assistance was women’s province.” (DuBois, 188). However, there were women who did fight in the Civil War because they disguised themselves as men. One of the many women who cross-dressed as a man was “Albert” Cashier. When Cashier was discovered to be a woman, she was diagnosed with mental illness. Fighting was a man’s job, and women who fought were seen as unethical or even sick. Such cultural backlash reinforced the idea that violence was gendered and the domain of men…
Military life during the Civil War was no easy task for both Union and Confederate forces. Thousands of soldiers left their homes for many months, living in tiny tents and fighting in bloody battles. Many faced disease, starvation, and death while in camps and on the battlefield. Soldiers went through these tremendous challenges and gave up many luxuries just to fight for their cause.…