Women of War (The many roles that women played during the Civil War of America) Women are known to be the nurturing part of human nature. It is women who birth and generally care for the young of human kind; however, the roles of women have progressed to be so much more in today’s society. Now women are looked to not only as a homemaker, but a breadwinner as well. In many families, the women provide a major source of income and are responsible for the wellbeing of the family. “More than a quarter century has passed since Arlie Hochschild’s The Second Shift powerfully made the case that women cannot compete fairly with men when they are doing two jobs and men are doing only one.” (Moravcsik). He goes on to say that women’s roles have shifted to being able to balance a job and a family at one time. Despite the many jobs that …show more content…
“…recorded history and introduced the domestic perspective in historical scholarship. She asserted the role women played in the Civil War and female role models from the revolution outside of the saintlyand missionary,” (Casper). Women since the Civil War, have earned their rights as an equal to men, thanks to their efforts during the civil war. Whether a lady stayed to care for the family, helped in ladies’ aid societies, left to become nurses, or even secretly fight as men, women were very important to the survival of the USA through the actions of the Civil War. A common opinion now is, “It should be possible for a lady doctor to marry a man who is an agriculturist by profession or vice versa if they so choose. Every citizen has a right to maintain good health and acquire ample wealth by his own efforts and lawful means,” (Shenoy). Stating that women are now considered equals to men, and should be treated as so, all of this came about through the help of the women in the Civil
After four years of seemingly endless battle between a divided nation, more than 600,000 people were killed. These lives, however, were not given in vain. Had it not been for the American Civil War, abolition may not have been carried out. The nation might have remained divided. Women might have remained confined to their roles as the "homemakers." Although the Civil War was fought in hopes of preserving the nation and ridding it of slavery, another war raged on within the depths of this war--the women's war. Serving as nurses both in the hospital and on the battlefields, women came to know a whole
While social change has brought on more changes than what women are a custom too, at one point in history women actually felt a form of importance in fulfilling their roles not only in the home; but outside as well. “These demographic shifts account for many new or altered roles, such as increased number of duel-earner families, later and fewer marriages, fewer children, increased life expectancy, and the massive migration shifting employees across a nation and across the globe” (Lindsey, 2011, pg. 275).
Women were considered frail, unintelligent, and unable to make decisions in eighteen-hundredths America. It was traditional wisdom that a woman’s place was in the home. The Civil War marked a turning point for women and their role in society. Through my research consisting of books, letters, speeches, and articles, I will tell the story of a time in America when women rose to satisfy the needs of the country when most men were away fighting the war. This essay will analyze the roles of women in eighteen-hundredths America, by evaluating how women’s roles had changed; they now were nurses, soldiers/spies, and public workers/activists.
" I want something to do ' Write a book,' Qouth the author of my being. Don't know enough, sir. First live, then write.' Try teaching again,' suggested my mother. No thank you, ma'am, ten years of that is enough.' Take a husband like my Darby, and fulfill your mission,' said sister Joan. Can't afford expensive luxuries, Mrs. Coobiddy.' Go nurse the soldiers,' said my young brother, Tom. I will!' (Harper 14)." This is a dialog of Louisa May Alcott with her relatives. Miss Alcott, like many other African American women, helped serve in the Civil War. During the Civil War, Miss Alcott held a variety of jobs. Mainly working as a writer, she held positions as a nurse, teacher, and volunteered in
When you hear women in the civil war, what do you think? Some people think can that really be, women are not meant for war, all they are needed for is cooking and cleaning and taking care of their children. Well everyone who stereotypes women of that is wrong, because just like men women did have some part of the civil war. Although they may have not fought in the war, they did help with the recovery of the injured men so that they can go back and fight in the war. Being a union nurse is not the only way they were apart of the war, some women did things that went down in history. Just like Harriet Tubman, who made history because she was the creator of the Underground Railroad. She was not the only women who was part of the army and made a
As of the mid-19th century and on was when African Americans and women were beginning to gain somewhat equal rights or were still disputing them. It is also well know that both have suffered in vastly different manners, but in some cases are very similar in certain struggles. African American men and women had to survive the terrors of the Ku Klux Klan in the southern states, managing life with the Black Code looming over their every move. They were basically fighting for something that a lot of people take for granted, their right to live as a regular citizen. White women on the other hand had their fair share of discrimination as well, when it came to labor, labor organizations and, equal wages.
As most of us know the women of the Civil War were a lot different I believe than the
The Civil War ripped through the fabric of the South, leaving no facet of life untouched. Most studies of the period have focused on the war itself, or on the changes taking place in the Union. Often neglected, however, is the impact of the war on the Confederate homefront, and particularly on the Confederacy’s working-class women. As the effects of war and rampant inflation ravaged the South, increasingly desperate working-class women turned to violence. In 1863, in Richmond, Virginia—the Confederacy’s capital—working-class women’s discontent boiled over into the Richmond bread riot, the largest riot the Confederacy had ever seen. The riot, though shocking, was not unforeseeable. Economic and social changes in Richmond pushed working-class white women to use means they had never utilized before in pursuit of political ends, ultimately resulting in a compromise between the government and its rebellious citizens that satisfied many of the women’s demands.
The role of women in the work force has been disputed in American since the end of World War II where women were needed in the workforce. It was not till fairly recently have women begun to work in American society. In 1963 the first policy regarding equal pay was introduced opening the gate from other policies, such as Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. However, women are still being undermined in the work force with the wage gap between women and men. Many argue that a wage gap does exist where women are working hard but getting payed less leading to poverty. On the other hand, others argue that the wage gap is merle a myth and is impractical in today 's society. Contributing factors like
Throughout every society’s history, there has been a prevalent inequality between the females and males of that population. Women have been considered slaves or property belonging to men; thus they have been viewed as second-class citizens and intellectual inferior. Most prominent is the idea that a women’s purpose in life was to remain in the domestic sphere. This meant their interactions and occupations within the public sphere was severely limited. This preconceived bias towards women’s only job to be a wife remained constant through centuries although the degrees of pressure on women varied. As decades progressed into the late 1800s to present time, a women’s occupational world had a chance grow outside their domestic sphere. Although
Women during the Civil War served on both sides disguised as men. Many of these women served because they were patriotic, others followed their husbands and a majority of the females wanted to escape the bubble they felt society trapped them in simply because they were Women. Females were engaged in the war as cooks, cleaners and nurses but the women Blanton and Cook refer to in this book are those who served as combatants and spies. These 400 some odd women were ruthless and fought as hard as men. Blanton and Cook summarize these individual courageous women into what history shall remember them as, demons.
The following research will help create an understanding as to why women join the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the roles they have after they have become a member. This paper will first construct the reasoning behind these girls joining the terror group, discuss first hand experiences from women who joined, and it will then establish the roles they perform on a day to day basis. Female names listed in this research are firsthand accounts from women who served or are serving in the FARC.
Hochschild also provides a number of surprising and relevant statistics about women in the labor market. For instance, 45% of people coming to work these days are women and, furthermore, “the majority of women workers are mothers (Hochschild, xix).” Hochschild goes on to futher note that “...55 percent with children one and under are in paid work, about half of them full time (Hochschild, xix).” But what is perhaps even more striking is that “Fifty-five percent of working women now earn about half or more of family income: 18 percent of those provide it all (Hochschild, xix).” And even though there are increasing numbers of women (including mothers) in the workplace,
Throughout most societal institutions there is at least some gender inequality. To begin, the institution of the family is much gendered, causing inequalities. As you might know, during the middle of the 1900’s, most fathers went to work, while the mother stayed home. However, overtime, more and more women entered the workforce. In fact, today, only about 12 percent of American households consist of a husband who financially supports a wife and children, while the mother stays home (Wade 248). Even though there are more women in the workforce, most mothers are stuck doing all the household chores after work, known as the second shift. In reality, women spend 15 more hours per week doing the second shift (classroom notes).
Over the years women have shown to be a successful gender. In the past women had limited power and were submissive to the ideology of a housewife. Those who chose to work were considered a bad influence for those women who were submissive. Since then the female gender has adopted a more independent and diplomatic overview of the working life. Today women make up half of the workforce. Women today have acquired skills and capabilities of not just being a homemaker but being at par with their male counterparts. This is the new generation of women, who wants to pursue their dream career.More conflict arises with the working mother. One has to fulfill the demand at work followed by various demands at home. In today’s scenario the husband and wife both work towards creating a balance with their work life as well as at home with their children. Her schedule is so tight she is as busy as an industrialist she wakes up in the morning prepare breakfast