In the United States, women weren’t allowed to join the military until the beginning of the twentieth century. This law, however, didn’t stop northerner Deborah Sampson. Like a modern era Mulan, Sampson dressed up as a man in the continental army during the Revolutionary War. Deborah Sampson showed perseverance, bravery, and a disregard for gender norms as she fought alongside unsuspecting men for over two years, earning herself a rightful place in the history books that has yet to be properly represented.
Deborah Sampson was born into a poor family in the southeastern part of Massachusetts and worked as an indentured servant for 12 years as she grew up. Although these circumstances seem against her, she managed to gain some education, and spent time working as a teacher or weaving after her time as a servant was over. It was during this time that historians suspect that Deborah came up with the idea to disguise herself and enlist in the army. Because she had grown up poor, Sampson didn’t have a dowry, so her decision to enlist was most likely for monetary reasons. Whatever her motivation, Deborah Sampson official joined the Continental Army in the spring of 1782 at the age of 21. (Lombard 494)
During her time in the army, Deborah’s identity was nearly exposed numerous times. Once, while engaged in combat with a
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Though she may not have received the full attention and fame that she deserves, Deborah Sampson remains a truly historic revolutionary heroine. She gave up her own personal identity in order to fight for a cause that she believed in, and had several close encounters with death because of it. Deborah Sampson displayed perseverance, bravery, and a complete disregard for gender norms of the era, therefore warranting herself a rightful place in the history books that has still not been fulfilled. Her dedication is admirable and should not be diluted by her gender or social
Soon after she was born, Sybil’s family moved to Dutchess County, New York. There, her father served in the military for more than sixty years. Sybil’s main role in the Revolutionary War, and the reason she’s so often referred to as “The Female Paul Revere”, was the night of April 26, 1777. Loyalists and British troops had raided and attacked the town of Danbury,
During a time period where men went off to fight war and women remained behind to see to the house, several women challenged this notion, and arguably none had the impact which rivaled Van Lew’s. As aforementioned, in order to be a spy in the Confederate capital, it was necessary that Van Lew live two separate, but concurrent lives. She did all the things that were expected of Antebellum women; publically she displayed unrivaled compassion towards the Confederate casualties. The story could not be more different privately. Van Lew supplied financial assistances to hunted fugitives, including the one hundred and nine soldiers that escaped from Libby Prison during the chilled winter of 1864.
Georgia 's most heralded female participant during the Revolutionary War was Nancy Hart. An earnest patriot, Hart gained reputation during the revolution for her determined efforts to disembarrass the area of Tories, English soldiers, and British sympathizers. Six feet tall, very sinewy, and a proclivity to expeditious anger ; Nancy heart became a spy for the colonial militia who captured, and surprised many loyalists during the American Revolution. Being able to dress up as a man and pull it off, she spied on the British and got information to assail them indiscriminately.
On one of the last battles, the battle of Yorktown, Deborah received many injuries from rope and trenches she was forced to dig. The injuries that she received almost blew her cover as a man, but that did not stop her from completing the new tasks that were to come her way. In June 1783 Deborah and two other servants led about 30 men on a march to unknown ground. During the march the group encountored many British troops. During the small battle Deborah noticed that a sward had pierced her side it was not long after until she had been shot in the lower thy of her left leg.
Not afraid of hard work, Clara Barton helped who were in need. Men showed her respect on the field, going to the extent of saluting her as they would a high-ranking general. Barton’s maternal and individualized care helped make her famous, popular, and respected. In an act of respect, Brigade Surgeon James L. Dunn gave Barton her well-known sobriquet, Angel of the Battlefield. This name showed that women could help with the war effort, and deserved equal respect and recognition as men in battle.
She led 150 black soldiers of the Second South Carolina Battalion safely on the Combahee River without alerting the Confederate troops. (Biography, 2017). The Combahee River Raid mission was to destroy Confederate Supply routes and she was able to accomplish her mission without alerting the Confederate Army. As they raided the Combahee River, the Union Army set fire to the bridges, plantations, rice mills and storehouses. The Union army seized many supplies including; cotton, corn, rice and potatoes.
They had to obey every command, and never question it. Women were considered to have little intellect and were thought to be better served to stick with tradition roles. In fact women that read books were considered to have “lost their senses because they read them.” (Berkin.3). When their home was in trouble, women would not hesitate to pick up torches or axes to join the men as they marched to defend their neighbors against the British army.
During the Civil War, women spies were very successful at their jobs for a great deal of reasons. They were perfect for the role of spy because women were easily trusted and viewed as non-threatening by soldiers who, would often let their guard down around them. Men didn’t expect women would get involved in such a dangerous job, so women spies often went undetected during the early part of the Civil War. Women often gathered information about the enemy’s plans, troop size, fortifications and supplies on scraps of paper or fabric and then sewed them into their blouses or rolled them into their hair. If they were to smuggle goods such as morphine, ammunition or weapons, they often attached them to the frame of their hoop skirts or hid them in baskets and inside dolls.
Lydia Barrington Darragh She told the guards she needed to get flour, but she really was trying to find a way to warn George Washington. She couldn 't get caught but at least if she was caught her family would be safe. She was on her own. Her name was Lydia Barrington Darragh.
In the book Revolutionary Mothers, author Carol Berkin discusses women’s roles in the American Revolution. She separates out the chapters so that she can discuss the different experiences and roles of women during the period. She utilizes primary and secondary sources to talk about how women stepped into their husband’s shoes and maintained their livelihoods and how they furthered the war effort on both sides, as well as how classes and race effected each woman’s experience. Berkin’s main goal was for the reader to understand that although women’s roles aren’t traditionally discussed when talking about the American Revolution, nevertheless, they played a major part in it.
Justin Lau (Wingkit) Professor Rogers History 100AC 29 September 2015 Response Paper: “The Women Is as Bad as the Men- Women 's Participation in the Inner Civil War.” , “General Benjamin Butler and the threat of Sexual Violence during the American Civil War”, “General Butler and the Women” and “The Other Side of the Freedom” A lot of North Carolina women showed uncooperative actions on the disorderliness by participating the protest in order to maintain their communities and social orders. These women would prefer to join the conflict that separated state and community rather than being its victims. Thus, their loyalties to husbands and sons, and strong determination of protecting their own property prompted them to disregard the female’s conventional behaviors.
(O’Brien 109). Consequently, her appearance had altered dramatically since she arrived there. She would never have worn a necklace like that before she went to war. The war changed the way she thought. Mentally, war desensitized her.
Evodie Saadoun Trevor Kallimani Hist 210 13th October 2015 Women in the American Revolution There is a proverb that says, “The woman is born free and remains equal to men in rights”. Since the eighteenth century, women still try to be equal to men and try to be independent. During the American Revolution, women were dependent on their husband. This meant they had to cook, clean and take care of their children. They were not allowed to do what they wanted.
Back in Revolutionary War times. People thought that a woman’s role was to raise law-abiding children. The Daughters of Liberty still took on this role, but they showed that women could do much more than just stay at home, raise children, and do chores around the house. Women like Deborah Sampson showed that women could fight for their freedom, just like men did. By signing agreements, boycotting goods, and helping out a good cause women proved that they could take charge and do anything they put their minds to.
Harriet Jacobs and Sojourner Truth are women who face adversity categorized in an invisible sub-group, making it difficult for black women to compete in the world. This sub-group is known as intersectionality. Black women struggle with the perception being inferior placing them at the bottom of the social class. Jacobs and Truth, however, share their experiences to other men and women allowing them to be aware of this invisible group. They willingly chose to speak out against this discrimination.