The Evolutionary Role of Women: From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War
In the early years of America, during the eighteenth-century, women did not have rights outside that of her husband. Women depended on their husbands for both legal and economic status. Any property wives held prior to marriage, became that of her husband, upon their nuptials.
The only caveat to her property was that the husband had to have his wife's approval before selling. However, given the wife's status a “femes covert”, getting her approval was hardly an issue (Corbett et al., "Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790," p.187). Despite women not having any rights outside their husbands in early America, women have been an integral part in the evolution of the United States, from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War.
The Revolutionary War itself is responsible for the first step in the evolution of women from subordinate citizens to semi-equal citizens. Women took on several roles during the Revolutionary War, some fighting alongside soldiers, in the fight for independence (Colonial Williamsburg). Others worked and lived in the soldier encampments, providing hot meals, washing clothing, and nursing wounded soldiers injuries (Colonial Williamsburg).
It was during this time that women stepped outside their traditional roles as wives, mothers, and caretakers of the home, and into an active role alongside men. That temporary role change had an enormous effect on the future roles of women. Women that had participated in fighting for their countries independence quickly found themselves longing for independence of their own. That longing was exacerbated when after the war was over it was declared that “all men are created equal,” without a single word about the women who had proven they could be equal during the war (Corbett et al., "Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790,” p.183).
One of the first influential women to request the notion of femes covert be reversed, was Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams. In a bold move, she wrote a letter to her husband regarding the new laws being made for America, earnestly ask him to “remember the ladies” when doing so, to ensure that women would have the ability to, at the very least, conduct business while their husbands were away (Corbett et al., "Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790," p.187). John Adams scoffed and denied his wife's request. Although women did not obtain political or legal rights as a result of their efforts during the Revolutionary War, and they were still considered femes coverts, they were able to be recognized as integral to the survival of the new nation, and “capable of moral and rational decision-making” (American Revolution Institute). Because of this epiphany from the gentlemen leaders, it was decided that women did have an important role to play; that of the education of children, including sons, as patriotic citizens.
This new role was labeled as Republican Motherhood, and the most important element of that term, meant that women who previously did not educate their sons, now had an obligation to do so. With this new role, literate, wealthy, and influential women such as Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, and Judith Sargent Murray began the push for the education of women (Corbett et al., "Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790,"p.187). The efforts of these women catapulted the demand by women to be educated, on the premise that they needed to be educated in order to educate their sons, thus “one of the most radical results of the American Revolution [was] the rise of female education” (American Revolution Institute).
Womens new found role as Republican Mothers and educators later opened the door for women to have an unquestionable role in the spiritual development of America during the Second Great Awakening. During the Second Great Awakening Evangelical ministers declared that men and women were spiritually equal in the eyes of God, which encouraged many female converts to take that declaration to heart (University Press of North Georgia p.16). Just as women were responsible for educating the youth to be good patriotic citizens, during the Great Awakening they took on additional roles as spiritual uplifters to those who were poor, “spiritually and morally,” through moral outreach efforts such as the Cult of Domesticity (University Press of North Georgia p.16). Their moral outreach to those they viewed as socially and economically inferior to themselves gave them a foothold in other spiritual reform movements, such as the Temperance Movement. The Temperance Movement was begun to prohibit the consumption of alcohol by the religious reform movement that urged people to live “clean lives” (University Press of North Georgia p.18). Women became a large part of the movement, eventually lending them to be seen as the moral voice for Americans. The movement itself also “served as another outlet for the reforming impulses of women” during the awakening, since it was more socially acceptable to be part of the Temperance Movement than abolitionism or the women’s rights movement (University Press of North Georgia p.19).
Through women’s participation in the moral reform of America, additional reforms occurred at the hands and encouragement of women. Reforms such as prison and asylum reform pushed for by Dorothea Dix, and additional school reforms that ensured the poorest youth could receive public education and women could obtain college educations (University Press of North Georgia p.20). The reform movement women were involved in that eventually gave way to the Women’s Rights Movement was the Anti-Slavery Movement. Through women’s involvement in the Anti-Slavery movement, they realized they did not have many more rights that a slave. Through this epiphany women such as Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton began an even larger push for women's equality, including the right of women to vote. Together, Mott and Stanton held the first women's rights convention, the Seneca Falls Convention, where the “Declaration of Sentiments” was issued (University Press of North Georgia p.25).
The Declaration of Sentiments was a direct assault towards the patriarchy of the United States, listing a slew of grievances toward the government that kept women subordinate to men. It was in this movement that women declared they had the same “rights to life, liberty, property, and happiness as men” (University Press of North Georgia p.26).
The issue of Women’s Rights was on the backburner during the 1850’s, leading up to the Civil War. Evenso, many remarkable women had a direct influence on the world around them, including women of color. One such woman of color, Harriet Tubman, was responsible for helping an untold number of slaves escape the south through the Underground Railroad (Corbett et al., "Troubled Times: The Tumultuous 1850's" p.397). Another “Harriet,” Harriet Beecher Stowe opened the eyes of whites to the atrocities of slavery with her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, whereby she recounted the tales of slaves who had suffered brutality and sexual exploitation. Her novel not only became a bestseller, but its “message about the evils of slavery helped convince many northerners of the righteousness of the cause of abolition” (Corbett et al., "Troubled Times: The Tumultuous 1850's" p.400). Her novel demonstrated that women could have an effect over public opinion, despite the fact women still could not vote.
When the Civil War began, women once again answered the call to serve their country, even though the war was effectively dividing the country in two. Nonetheless, women once again were forced to take over every aspect of the household, from the home and children, to farms and businesses that were left when their husbands went to war. Ladies societies were created to sew uniforms for the troops and to make other items to sell in order to raise money for their husbands troops. Southern women took wounded soldiers into their homes and nursed them back to health, while Northern women joined the United States Sanitary Commission to keep soldiers from succumbing to disease. Once again, Dorothea Dix, the reformer of asylums and prisons, volunteered herself for change and was placed in charge of the Union army’s nurses. And as in the Revolutionary War, women disguised themselves as men and fought alongside their male counterparts as well as served as spies for their respective sides.
If women’s roles were only viewed from the standpoint of their roles in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, it would appear their roles had not evolved at all. When in fact, not only had women's roles changed from being completely subservient and unable to tend to their husbands businesses during the Revolutionary War to taking over their husbands businesses and farms during the Civil War, but the evolving roles of women had a direct influence on the evolution of the United States. Because women took up the call during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars soldiers were able to focus on their main task, fighting. Because women became involved in the moral and spiritual welfare of American citizens, prisons, asylums, and schools were reformed. Because women became involved in the anti-slavery movement, not only was the women’s rights movement birthed, but the incredibly influential novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written, changing hearts and minds on the issue of slavery. Indeed, as the roles of women evolved, so too did the United States.
American Revolution Institute, and The Society of the Cincinnati . “A New Radical Idea: Republican Motherhood.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Apr. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovAtFmEnbZQ.
Colonial Williamsburg. “Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army.” Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation , 2017, www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/volume7/nov08/women_revarmy.cfm.
Corbett, P. Scott, et al. “The Civil War, 1860-1865.” Edited by Sylvie Waskiewicz, OpenStax CNX, OpenStax, 2017, cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@3.84:fKjzp_hx@2/Introduction.
Corbett, P. Scott, et al. “Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790.” Edited by Sylvie Waskiewicz, OpenStax, OpenStax, 2017, cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@3.84:9QjS8jUq@2/Introduction.
Corbett, P Scott, et al. “Troubled Times: the Tumultuous 1850's.” Edited by Sylvie Waskiewicz, OpenStax CNX, OpenStax, 2017, cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@3.84:sb9he7Z3@2/Introduction.
University Press of North Georgia. “Chapter Thirteen: Antebellum Revival and Reform.” History in the Making: A History of the People of the United States of America to 1877, University Press of North Georgia RSS, 19 Aug. 2013, upnorthgeorgia.org/?page_id=2181.
The Revolutionary War itself is responsible for the first step in the evolution of women from subordinate citizens to semi-equal citizens. Women took on several roles during the Revolutionary War, some fighting alongside soldiers, in the fight for independence (Colonial Williamsburg). Others worked and lived in the soldier encampments, providing hot meals, washing clothing, and nursing wounded soldiers injuries (Colonial Williamsburg).
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| Abigail Adams |
Womens new found role as Republican Mothers and educators later opened the door for women to have an unquestionable role in the spiritual development of America during the Second Great Awakening. During the Second Great Awakening Evangelical ministers declared that men and women were spiritually equal in the eyes of God, which encouraged many female converts to take that declaration to heart (University Press of North Georgia p.16). Just as women were responsible for educating the youth to be good patriotic citizens, during the Great Awakening they took on additional roles as spiritual uplifters to those who were poor, “spiritually and morally,” through moral outreach efforts such as the Cult of Domesticity (University Press of North Georgia p.16). Their moral outreach to those they viewed as socially and economically inferior to themselves gave them a foothold in other spiritual reform movements, such as the Temperance Movement. The Temperance Movement was begun to prohibit the consumption of alcohol by the religious reform movement that urged people to live “clean lives” (University Press of North Georgia p.18). Women became a large part of the movement, eventually lending them to be seen as the moral voice for Americans. The movement itself also “served as another outlet for the reforming impulses of women” during the awakening, since it was more socially acceptable to be part of the Temperance Movement than abolitionism or the women’s rights movement (University Press of North Georgia p.19).
The issue of Women’s Rights was on the backburner during the 1850’s, leading up to the Civil War. Evenso, many remarkable women had a direct influence on the world around them, including women of color. One such woman of color, Harriet Tubman, was responsible for helping an untold number of slaves escape the south through the Underground Railroad (Corbett et al., "Troubled Times: The Tumultuous 1850's" p.397). Another “Harriet,” Harriet Beecher Stowe opened the eyes of whites to the atrocities of slavery with her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, whereby she recounted the tales of slaves who had suffered brutality and sexual exploitation. Her novel not only became a bestseller, but its “message about the evils of slavery helped convince many northerners of the righteousness of the cause of abolition” (Corbett et al., "Troubled Times: The Tumultuous 1850's" p.400). Her novel demonstrated that women could have an effect over public opinion, despite the fact women still could not vote.
Works Cited
Colonial Williamsburg. “Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army.” Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation , 2017, www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/volume7/nov08/women_revarmy.cfm.
Corbett, P. Scott, et al. “The Civil War, 1860-1865.” Edited by Sylvie Waskiewicz, OpenStax CNX, OpenStax, 2017, cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@3.84:fKjzp_hx@2/Introduction.
Corbett, P. Scott, et al. “Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790.” Edited by Sylvie Waskiewicz, OpenStax, OpenStax, 2017, cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@3.84:9QjS8jUq@2/Introduction.
Corbett, P Scott, et al. “Troubled Times: the Tumultuous 1850's.” Edited by Sylvie Waskiewicz, OpenStax CNX, OpenStax, 2017, cnx.org/contents/p7ovuIkl@3.84:sb9he7Z3@2/Introduction.
University Press of North Georgia. “Chapter Thirteen: Antebellum Revival and Reform.” History in the Making: A History of the People of the United States of America to 1877, University Press of North Georgia RSS, 19 Aug. 2013, upnorthgeorgia.org/?page_id=2181.
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