How Women’S Life Changed In Revolutionary War
Women’s life changed in the revolutionary war because they played a vital role in the war as caretakers, companions and even fight the war as soldiers. The women were not only the patriots, but they were loyalist, native American and African American. Women in the revolutionary war served their husbands, mostly helpmates to their counter parts. Not only just their husbands, they served other men who were injured and took care of them while they were on the bed.
Beroness von Riedesel left her home in Germany, and went to America to help her husband who was a loyalist general. Reading the letters they wrote to each other, explain the problems and struggles Beroness faced while she was traveling to London and the colonies. The letters also explain that she was a brave women who was a caretaker for injured troops and she took care of the financial affairs while her husband was out fighting the war. Beroness also took care of the household. She even fulfill the children needs.
Berkin uses examples to provide evidence to prove her main arguments. She explains the bravery of women through minor actions like Lydia Darragh, a house wife who risked her life and safety to leave the British controlled Philadelphia to pass on important intelligence information to the Washington army. This prepared the Washington army for the British forces attacks. Another example is Grace Galloway, who stopped the attempts of the American army who were confiscating her husbands property. Berkin uses Esther deBerdt and Sarah Bache as an example for women participating in political affairs during the revolution. Reed and Bache formed the Ladies Association and raised funds for the war effort. They also made clothing for the soldiers during the war. Women Abigail Adams and Judith Sargent Murray were for the most part involved with extended their role as a homemaker to a national stage. Berkin notes that their effort left open the likelihood for feminine political leaders to arise in the future.
In the chapter of native American women , Berkin argues that the end result of the Revolution war would lead to forceful reduction of their social power. Women like Molly Brant, navigated between white and Indian culture influenced Native American to fight on the behalf of England. Berkin includes that Brant herself served as a leader of the Mohawk and Indian Communities. Within the presense of this proof, it is tough to claim that every women served as nothing over helpmates to men, as many of them, together with those non- white culture, perpetually blurred the road between ancient male and feminine roles.
In the end, Revolutionary mothers is a great book for historians, educators, mostly everyone because the examples that Berkin provides on the roles of women are amazing. Her research brought a light to the roles of women in the war for independence. After reading revolutionary mothers, readers can understand the efforts of women that were necessary fo US in order to attain independence. They also may be the building blocks for the future expansions of women’s right and roles. The presence of proof that contrast with one in all her central arguments, doesn’t depreciate the worth of Berkin’s work. If Berkin asserts , women served primarily as helpmates to men before and after the revolution. But revolutionary mothers allows readers to know the start line form that American women stirred towards bigger participation outside the house within the centuries once the war concluded.
