Women's Role In The Revolutionary War

In 1775, at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Revolutionary War began. The American Colonies united under a common purpose: to fight for their independence against Britain, to whom they previously paid allegiance to. While many supported the cause, only men were allowed to fight in the war. However, women found ways to support the cause other than directly fighting, including exerting political pressure, collecting donations, and using their status as non-fighters to carry information undercover. A major factor leading to the colonies’ rebellion against Britain was their discontent on being taxed without representation in British Parliament, the governing body that ratified taxes on the colonies. An example of how women assembled together to support the rebellion against Britain is shown by their protests against the Townshend Acts, taxes passed by Britain on certain goods, including tea. In the Boston Evening-Post on February 12, 1770, a colonial newspaper, a group of “[about] 300 women” announced their boycott of tea taxed by Britain: “At the time when our invaluable Rights and Privileges are [attacked] in a… most alarming [manner]... we will
Reed organized a group of women dedicated to the revolution through the publication of a broadside, Sentiments of an American Woman, where she encouraged women to “render themselves more really useful.” Together, they collected “$7,500… used to provide shirts to the men [in the army].” After Reed died, Bache took over, making “2,200 shirts… [helping] hundreds of soldiers in Washington’s camp to survive.” The remarkable efforts of these women allowed soldiers to survive the “bitter winter,” ensuring they could later fight against the British army. Though they could not fight in the war, they supported the soldiers from afar, independently organizing a group to sew shirts for Washington’s