Women's Role In The Civil War

The Lifestyle and Role of Women In the Civil War Typically, when we think of the Civil War, we think of the role of men during that time. History books reflect on the men that had fought and died in the war. While many may believe men were the only ones that contributed in the Civil War that isn't actually the case. Women also had a large impact on the outcome of this war. During the war, women took on new roles to support their families. Women were generally viewed as primary caretakers of the home and of children. Previously throughout history they didn’t usually take part in the same roles that men did. During the Civil War, women not only took on their usual roles of being in control of the home life, they actually joined in on the war
itself. Many enslaved women also escaped and freed themselves during this time period. The Civil War was a significant turning point in terms of women’s roles in history. America in the late 19th century was still mostly rural, especially in the south.
This area was full of large plantations worked by slaves. However, certain families could not afford to be slaves or were not wealthy enough to own plantations, and these families had to run the farms themselves. Women during this time period were a part of what was known as the “Cult of Domesticity” which suggested that women were meant to be passive caretakers. This meant that women were expected to cook, clean, take care of the children, and to just generally be housekeepers. However, during the Civil War, many of the men went off to serve in the army, and their wives were left to run their farms and businesses by themselves. Women were left in charge of the livestock and poultry, preserved fruits, vegetables and meat, and made family garments. In 1860, New York passed the first comprehensive reform granting women full property, parental, and widow’s rights. Under this reform, and others like it, women could run businesses. This was, however, much more acceptable for women in the west and midwest than the south and northeast. Many women in Minnesota became successful independent photographers during this time period. Some were even gallery managers and owners. A woman named Ellen Curtis Demorest designed and sold dresses in addition to running a magazine called “Madame Demorest’s Mirror of Fashions”. It eventually became a million dollar business. Several women during the Civil War also
began to work in factories. This was a phenomenon also seen during WWII. Since women were mostly considered to be strictly involved in the domestic atmosphere they were not allowed to serve in the war which led to women coming up with different ways to involve themselves in the war. Not only did women go out and get jobs in order to support the family at home they decided to join the war itself. Different motivations pushed women into joining the war. Oftentimes, women wanted to fight for the same reasons that men did. Like men, some women served out of dedication to a cause or out of the need to earn money and support their families. Females felt like there was “a sense of urgency, movement, and progress so evident in the geographical, industrial, technological and political changes affecting the country”(Hartman). This lead them to uproot their lives and put themselves in the line of fire. Some women decided to join the war because they had a sense of adventure or desire to leave an unsatisfying home life as well. The Civil War occurred just as women were beginning to push for their own rights as people. While this movement was not fully recognized until the early 20th century due to the bigger push for the abolitionist movement, it was still an idea that started forming around this time. Women enjoyed the freedom to manage their own finances, travel, and escape the dullness of their day to day lives.

Women also disguised themselves and joined the Civil War.
In order to change their appearance they wore baggy clothing and a lot of layers in order to hide their breasts and then would cut their hair short to resemble a male and put dirt on their faces. At least 250 women disguised themselves and took part in the war. Women took part in almost every major battle that was fought. For example women fought in the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. During this battle at least six women fought including confederate Loreta Velazquez who also took part in the battle at fort Donelson. Most of these women joined along side of a male relative or spouse. Women that were disguised typically remained undetected unless they became wounded or were killed. Some women were still able to be a part of the war without disgusting themselves as men. Many women helped jobs pertaining to the military without actually being on the front lines. These jobs included everything from helping on hospital ships, to cooking and serving meals for soldiers. Some women came on as laundresses but ended up tending to the sick, cleaning guns and even teaching soldiers to how to
read. Women also played a very unexpected role as spies throughout the war for both the Union and for the Confederacy. Women as spies was not expected because women weren't considered to be able to engage in politics let alone be involved in passing secrets from one side to another. In order to pass these secret women started to become creative by hiding notes in hoop skirts, corsets and in what was considered umbrellas at the time. The Union and Confederate soldiers did not predict the women to become such a key role in gathering information about the other side. Over the course of the war over a hundred women participated in spy activities including going undercover and risking their lives. Both the women of the Union side and the Confederate side used the idea that women couldn’t possible know enough about the war to provide enough intelligence needed to make strategic and reliable decisions as spies. One key female Union spy is Elizabeth Van Lew who was born into a slave-holding family. Elizabeth aided the Union prisoners held by the Confederates in Richmond. As a member of Richmond Elite Van Lew was able to have access to the secrets of the Confederacy that she passed on to Union officers. Other than just sending information along higher up the chain of command Elizabeth also provided food and medicine to Union prisoners of war and also helped to plan their escape. Elizabeth went as far as developing her own network of spies. One of the more famous Confederate spies is Belle Boyd. This confederate spy used her charms in order to get information from officers of the Union to pass onto the Confederate soldiers. Under the suspicion that she was a spy she was sent to Virginia where she began to work as a courier between Confederate General Jackson to General P.G.T. Beauregard. This information was later credited by Jackson to have helped him gain the victories he had achieved. Women became far less passive during the Civil War, and enslaved women were no exception. Many women escaped from their slave owners and fled to the north. According the the encyclopedia article Slavery during the Civil War “Virginia had the largest population of enslaved african americans of any state in the confederacy.”(Martinez) So many slaves escaped to the union army lines, that they were forced to develop an emancipation policy. Run away slaves were often tipped off by Conductors, used their own personal knowledge of the geography, and sometimes used disguises to run away to the North. Females dressed as males or some of them pretended to run errands and deliver messages on behalf of their masters making their escape to the North. An example of a successful runaway would be Ellen Craft. Since Craft was a light skin slave she was able to disguise herself as a elderly white man. She was able to help her husband escape by posing as his master and leading him through town without question. For women who couldn’t pass as white, there was also the option of the underground railroad.
Harriet Tubman was one of these women. She not only escaped through the underground railroad but she returned several times to guide others to safety, and even became a Conductor. As a fugitive slave she had a bounty placed on her head, and thus risked her life by returning again and again to the slave-owning states. As a Conductor on the Underground Railroad she was able to create a network of spies for the Union in South Carolina. She was also the first women to lead a military expedition when she helped Colonel James Montgomery plan a night raid to free a slaves from rice plantations. Over the course of the civil war women’s roles completely evolved. People who started as care takers, cook, and cleaners, became soldiers, spies, and heroes to the slaves of the south. Through these roles the women joined the front lines of the army. They also passed along secret political information that allowed both sides to make changes to their strategic battle plans. Even enslaved women were able to become powerful by escaping to the north where they were viewed as free women. Without the help of women during the Civil War the outcome could've changed drastically.