Women Before The Civil War

During the Civil war era women still did not have the same rights as men. Men were known to be the dominant figure in society. Men went to work, men contributed towards the war and men had complete control over anything including the women. All women were allowed to do during this time period is to stay at home and be the “Stay at home mom”. But soon men were tired of war and women knew this is when they could take their chance to be out and about.

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Southern Women and the Civil War: The Burdens of Patriotism and Womanhood in the Confederacy

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.

In the early 1800s, women were second-class citizens. Women were expected to restrict their area of interest to the home and the family. Women were not encouraged to have a real education or pursue a professional career. Also, women were considered unequal to their husbands and all males legally and socially. The day-to day lives of men and women were quite clearly divided during the late 1800s. Woman in the late 1800s were treated inhumane because of society, class, and their rights.

African American women in the North did not have the same opportunities available to them as white women. They often found it difficult to find employment. Many made money by sewing and exchanging crops for cash. Others found work as teachers despite receiving low pay. Some found teaching positions through the American Missionary Association (AMA), which hoped to bring education to the free African Americans living in the North and South during the war. Many African American women were eager to take on this new position. Charlotte F. Forten who would become an important teacher believed the key to equality was through education as described in her journal, “I should spare no effort to become what he desires that I should be (speaking of

“So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War,” said Abraham Lincoln to Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe is the author of the infamous book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” (Impact of…) Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of the thousands of women who helped to support the civil war effort. During the civil war women made an impact on a multitude of different areas, including, abolition, supporting the war effort, serving as soldier or nurses, and running life back at home.

After the Civil War, a lot happened in the United States. The South had to rebuild and many people migrated to the West in search of gold. Although, this was not all that occurred after the Civil War; women in America were presented with new opportunities, although they still faced many restrictions and limitations.

" ‘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

¨The world has never yet seen a truly great and virtuous nation because in the degradation of Women the very foundations of life are poisoned at their source” (Rose 1). Lucretia Mott was only one of many women in which had to go through this tough time known as the Civil War (Biography.com Editors 2). Women during this time threw away their old ways of being a housewife and everyone helped contribute in the war somehow, whether if they were young or old they helped (History.com Staff 1). Though not often mentioned, women played a huge role in the Civil War.

During the course of the Civil War it became a woman’s job to take over a man’s jobs. Men were at war so it was necessary for their positions, or occupations in the workforce to be filled rapidly. Jobs such as teaching (1), nursing (1), and running a business (4) were converted to be women’s jobs. The term schoolmistress became more common than school master (1). In the beginning it was ¨unrespectable¨ for women to enter a hospital, but now that their work was needed more than ever, women filled the positions despite what society thought (1). Women also began to work in factories making supplies, such as guns and ammunition, for battle (1). Some women became suppliers, and they would distribute supplies on the battlefield (4). One women, named Vivandiére, was a uniformed female mascot who completed chores in

The Civil War, fought in 1861, is known for its audacious men and their hard work towards the four-year-long war. Many would have never known that among the soldiers who fought were more than four-hundred women. During the 1800s, men believed that “true women” should not receive equal rights as they do and were expected to do housework and raise a family. When the war broke out, men were sent to fight in the war, leaving a gateway to a new lifestyle for women. The Civil War was an opportunity for women, allowing them to face new duties and responsibilities as a way to change perception between men and women, such as fighting in the war, nursing for the sick and wounded, and providing resources to the soldiers.

Women from all over the world have been faced with many difficult problems since the beginning of time. Women in the past have had to fight for their rights of education, freedom, sexual choices, and their freedom to work. Women today still face problems because of their gender, but times are slowly but surely changing. Before the Revolution women had no say in any activities they participated in. Women had to obey their husbands, give them sex whenever they wanted, had no choice over reproductive patterns, were strictly in charge of taking care of the house and children, and were not allowed to leave the homestead. Joan R. Gundersen argues that the women of the American Revolution gained more than they had lost. She believed at that time the greatest changes appeared enhancing the lives of everyday women.

After watching Little Women, it has come to my attention that although women may not have had such a great title besides as being made to tend to the house. They play a huge role in the Civil War and without them, the war wouldn’t have been fought and a number of soldiers would be left untreated and they all would perish. The movie also depicts the situation that the women were in wanting education, travel, and receive many nice things for themselves. Women did not want to be different they wanted equality. Demonstrating that the Civil War caused a spark in the women’s think eventually leading to a progression to achieve equal rights. Learning about this and connecting it to reality the difference between men and women still exist and the fight

During the late 19th century and early 20th century, many American women began to feel a sense of hope that one day, they would achieve the same freedom as men had. However, women quickly realized that in order to gain the freedom they desire, they would have to change the social expectations of their time. History played a major part in helping change the social expectations, especially during World War 1 and World War 2, when women went to work and took on the jobs previously performed by American men who were fighting overseas. Many factors have contributed to the changes of social expectations concerning women’s roles in society due to the personal efforts of individual woman and groups of women who band together to fight for their independence