Role Of Women In The American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War is often viewed as a man’s battle that highlights the contribution of men; however, this is far from the truth. Women took on many roles during the Revolutionary War such as spies, nurses, and cooks, which is often overlooked, in American history, but it is time their stories are told. The journal of Margaret Morris is valued for its insights into the lives of women during the war and is portrayed through the private feelings and values of a devout Quaker woman. Margaret Morris was a Quaker widow and local medical practitioner living in Burlington, New Jersey when the Revolutionary war began. She saved countless lives of soldiers from the war and also those who were affected with diseases such as smallpox.
Similar to Margaret Morris, women who offered their services to the army made a difficult decision that impacted their lifestyle. They chose to embark on a journey that was filled with discomfort, hardship, and danger. These women worked hard and long hours to sustain a living for themselves and their families, all while supporting the army and its cause. The contribution that American women made by taking on active roles as agents, caregivers, providers, secret soldiers, and political figures partially led to the American win in the Revolutionary War. In order to understand these women’s status before and after the war, three factors need to be taken into account: the various roles women took, the effectiveness of women in these roles, and the degree to which their effort led to the American victory through the eyes of both genders. The first factor can be analyzed through memoirs and historical accounts of women at the time while the last two factors need to be analyzed through texts from both genders to avoid bias from one particular sex. The outcome of the war led to the independence of the American nation and several American women due to their increased sense of worth.
A majority of American history has been told from the male perspective and has highlighted the importance of male contribution in several events, but there’s more to history than just the things we are taught. The female input has largely been ignored on several occasions, which can affect our knowledge on why these events took place. My motivation for this topic was to advocate for my gender and to explore the life of a minority group at that time. If I were just learning history from one perspective I would be doing a disservice to myself by not viewing the complete picture. People should value this topic, including myself, since women have worked just as hard as the men, who worked besides them, during this time. It is only appropriate to remember their sacrifice and courage by honoring them along with the fighting men they supported.
