Women In The Cival War And The Roles They Played On The Battlefield And Home FrontEssay Preview: Women In The Cival War And The Roles They Played On The Battlefield And Home FrontReport this essayWomen in the Civil War and the Roles They Played on the Battlefield and on the Home frontBy: VMHIST 13018/01/03The Civil War, which lasted for four long years, was a “total war” involving every aspect of society. During this time in one of the bloodiest of wars, northern and southern women were as equally involved as their male counterparts, if not more. Because of this war, women were forced to abandon their traditional roles of the 19th century, and participate in the war effort. Some fearless women disguised themselves as young men, and took on the role of soldiers, in order to show their patriotism. Some of the more cunning women freelanced as spies outside the government sphere, so that they could participate in the war. Others supported the war effort by taking on the roles of nurses who risked their lives on the battlefield; however, most of them worked in hospitals located in the rear. No matter how big or small the role they played during the civil war, the significance of their effort and support broadened beliefs about the abilities of women and what they could achieve outside of the home.
One of the more significant roles that women played during the civil war was that of a soldier. Both Union and Confederate armies forbade the enlistment of women, so those that wanted to enlist, crossed gender boundaries and disguised themselves as young men and assumed masculine names. This war was not only a mans fight, but it was also a womans fight. Female civil war soldiers, like the male soldiers, lived in camps, suffered in prisons and died for their respective causes. They were wounded prisoners of war, and killed in action. Going to war was strictly by choice and they were all aware of the risks involved. Many had never fired a rifle before much less contained the understanding of the army way of life, but nevertheless, they still managed and some were very successful.
Walking to and fro with women and children in a war is a real challenge, but to have men in your home as mentors and friends with them is extremely important.
In the 1800s, women were more likely than men to fight in World War I and the Civil War. During a Civil War campaign in which women were almost half of the fighting force, one soldier was fighting alongside a troop of other men in the vicinity of a house: “I said, ‘We’ll fight that’ and then said, ‘I’ll have you out with me’. That was a good idea!”
In the 19th century, women were at the top of some of the US military and its leadership in a sense, but they were also very difficult to recruit to the military. This is why you can see how many men want to be military leaders and how many women want to be military soldiers. The Army, which was made out to be the world’s biggest, was constantly seeking new recruits, never able to find a male leader, and that has led to gender imbalance, where there will always be men who want to lead.
So in the 1800s, when you are in your 20s or 30s, you may think twice, and that was probably true during the Civil War. But you know what? It wasn’t true; the Civil War happened to men, not women.
In 1891, for instance, George Washington had his wife, Eleanor, with him, and there was a huge uproar that led to his resignation and his resignation had many ramifications that they never anticipated.
“Now that I’m gone, I don’t want to have to talk with any of you.” The Washington brothers were both men and that did not stop the women’s movement to reclaim the role of men in American politics. It is also likely that when Eleanor lost her family, the women realized that men in government were the next big thing.
For instance, John Oliver and John Dickerson became big men and all kinds of stories spread about it. He wrote a book called The Great Men of America and it is based on his work. One of the things he wrote is that the great men that existed at the time really had a way of using themselves and how they carried themselves. When he went overseas and began to tell his story, it helped him to get his story across more widely. He actually wrote it in his diary and that’s what everyone involved knew. It helped him to put his life together.
By the 1860s, women were in a state of crisis. In fact, the Civil War was an important part of that drama.
One of the reasons that women didn’t have a real army in the 1870s was because the women were too involved in the war war to be trusted by any one person as they were doing the whole game and they wouldn’t have any confidence in your military leadership and you were going to be killed for not doing what you were promised and if you weren’t, you really weren’t going to win it.
But here’s
Walking to and fro with women and children in a war is a real challenge, but to have men in your home as mentors and friends with them is extremely important.
In the 1800s, women were more likely than men to fight in World War I and the Civil War. During a Civil War campaign in which women were almost half of the fighting force, one soldier was fighting alongside a troop of other men in the vicinity of a house: “I said, ‘We’ll fight that’ and then said, ‘I’ll have you out with me’. That was a good idea!” In the 19th century, women were at the top of some of the US military and its leadership in a sense, but they were also very difficult to recruit to the military. This is why you can see how many men want to be military leaders and how many women want to be military soldiers. The Army, which was made out to be the world’s biggest, was constantly seeking new recruits, never able to find a male leader, and that has led to gender imbalance, where there will always be men who want to lead.So in the 1800s, when you are in your 20s or 30s, you may think twice, and that was probably true during the Civil War. But you know what? It wasn’t true; the Civil War happened to men, not women.In 1891, for instance, George Washington had his wife, Eleanor, with him, and there was a huge uproar that led to his resignation and his resignation had many ramifications that they never anticipated. “Now that I’m gone, I don’t want to have to talk with any of you.” The Washington brothers were both men and that did not stop the women’s movement to reclaim the role of men in American politics. It is also likely that when Eleanor lost her family, the women realized that men in government were the next big thing.For instance, John Oliver and John Dickerson became big men and all kinds of stories spread about it. He wrote a book called The Great Men of America and it is based on his work. One of the things he wrote is that the great men that existed at the time really had a way of using themselves and how they carried themselves. When he went overseas and began to tell his story, it helped him to get his story across more widely. He actually wrote it in his diary and that’s what everyone involved knew. It helped him to put his life together.
By the 1860s, women were in a state of crisis. In fact, the Civil War was an important part of that drama. One of the reasons that women didn’t have a real army in the 1870s was because the women were too involved in the war war to be trusted by any one person as they were doing the whole game and they wouldn’t have any confidence in your military leadership and you were going to be killed for not doing what you were promised and if you weren’t, you really weren’t going to win it.But here’s
Walking to and fro with women and children in a war is a real challenge, but to have men in your home as mentors and friends with them is extremely important.
In the 1800s, women were more likely than men to fight in World War I and the Civil War. During a Civil War campaign in which women were almost half of the fighting force, one soldier was fighting alongside a troop of other men in the vicinity of a house: “I said, ‘We’ll fight that’ and then said, ‘I’ll have you out with me’. That was a good idea!” In the 19th century, women were at the top of some of the US military and its leadership in a sense, but they were also very difficult to recruit to the military. This is why you can see how many men want to be military leaders and how many women want to be military soldiers. The Army, which was made out to be the world’s biggest, was constantly seeking new recruits, never able to find a male leader, and that has led to gender imbalance, where there will always be men who want to lead.So in the 1800s, when you are in your 20s or 30s, you may think twice, and that was probably true during the Civil War. But you know what? It wasn’t true; the Civil War happened to men, not women.In 1891, for instance, George Washington had his wife, Eleanor, with him, and there was a huge uproar that led to his resignation and his resignation had many ramifications that they never anticipated. “Now that I’m gone, I don’t want to have to talk with any of you.” The Washington brothers were both men and that did not stop the women’s movement to reclaim the role of men in American politics. It is also likely that when Eleanor lost her family, the women realized that men in government were the next big thing.For instance, John Oliver and John Dickerson became big men and all kinds of stories spread about it. He wrote a book called The Great Men of America and it is based on his work. One of the things he wrote is that the great men that existed at the time really had a way of using themselves and how they carried themselves. When he went overseas and began to tell his story, it helped him to get his story across more widely. He actually wrote it in his diary and that’s what everyone involved knew. It helped him to put his life together.
By the 1860s, women were in a state of crisis. In fact, the Civil War was an important part of that drama. One of the reasons that women didn’t have a real army in the 1870s was because the women were too involved in the war war to be trusted by any one person as they were doing the whole game and they wouldn’t have any confidence in your military leadership and you were going to be killed for not doing what you were promised and if you weren’t, you really weren’t going to win it.But here’s
It was estimated that 400 women rolled up their pants, bound their breasts, and cut their hair, in order to enlist with the fighting forces. Among those that joined the Confederate Army ranks was Mrs. Amy Clarke, “who enlisted with her husband and continued service after he was killed at Shiloh. It was not until she was wounded a second time and captured by the Federal that Mrs. Amy Clarkes gender was detected”. Female soldiers had plenty of guts; they did not faint at the sight of blood, nor did they swoon in unbearably hot weather. They endured the same physical and mental hardships as their male counterparts. Taking on soldiers roles in the Union or Confederate Armies, was one of the many ways women could show their patriotism for what they believed in.
Another significant role that was taken on by women during the Civil War was that of a spy. This option allowed a woman to keep her femininity and capitalize on it. A perfect example of such a women was Belle Boyd. She made a wartime career of spying for the confederacy. “Charming and flirtatious, Belle Boyd masked her fierce will with innocent smiles and coquettish conversation. Her dark ringlets and flashing eyes, as well as quick wits and deep determination, led her to become a great menace to the helpless Union army”. Belle Boyd began her career as a spy at the age of 17, when she shot a union soldier for using offensive language when he spoke to her mother. Surprisingly, she was pardoned instead of punished by the Union Officers. She continued her work during the civil war as a spy by completing such feats as capturing Union Calvary men as her prisoners, and helping Jacksons troops to capture Front Royal, Virginia from the Union. Another example of a successful female Confederate spy was Mrs. Rose ONeal Greenhow. Mrs. Greenhow was a social prominent widow from Washington D.C., who used other methods to gain access to secret information. She used her social connections to gather exclusive and secret information on Federal plans, which later led to her arrest and imprisonment by the Federals. In her diary, My Imprisonment and the First Year of Abolition Rule at Washington, displays the strength of her will and determination for the confederate cause. “The useless series of torments and provocations to which I was subjected – the changes in my place of imprisonment, and the many attempts to entrap me into a betrayal of myself or the Confederate cause. Hence the long and wearisome captivity, to beak my spirit, or to goad me into undignified bursts of indignation – in all of which I trust I may flatter myself that they signally failed”. By manipulating gender expectations, both Boyd and Greenhow obtained the freedom to aid their beloved Confederacy while claiming blameless. However, female spies were not limited to just working for the Confederacy, the Union contained a successful arsenal of their own. An excellent example of a successful Union spy is Elizabeth Van Lew. Elizabeth Van Lew worked for four years as a dedicated and resourceful spy. She was outspoken, rebellious, and a little eccentric. Unlike Belle Boyd who used her good looks to obtain information, Elizabeth Van Lew was quite the opposite. Lacking in beauty, charm, coquettes air, and a lush figure, Van Lew accomplished her tasks by resorting to other methods. She relied on her gentleness, eccentricity, and flattery to get what she wanted. For example, “after the war started, Elizabeth Van Lew openly supported the Union. She took items of clothing and food and medicine to prisoners at the Confederate Libby Prison and passed information to U.S. General Grant, spending much of her fortune to support her espionage. She may also have helped prisoners escape from Libby prison. To cover her activities, she took on a persona of “Crazy Bet”, dressing oddly; she was never arrested for her spying”. “Crazy Bet” was so bold and daring somehow she managed to penetrate the home of President Davis by convincing one of her former servants to secure a position in the Davis household staff. The techniques that Miss Van Lew developed are still used in espionage today. She was smart enough to tear messages into several pieces and send them out with different couriers, so if one of those couriers were caught the message could not be deciphered. Another technique she used was invisible ink in her messages. In order to make decoding that much more difficult,