Women During The Civil War

Words: 886
Pages: 4
Open Document
The “crisis of gender” that took place during the civil war refers to the changes in the roles as well as the status of both men and women. There had been a profound amount of disruptions that counteracted the traditional gender roles that took place during the war, causing the “crisis”. The challenges social structures and traditional gender roles faced, had caused an uproar and significant changes all throughout the war. These changes allowed many aspects and opinions of society to evolve, paving the way to the inclusivity and gender equality seen in the world today. During the Civil War, women made major changes and contributions to society, but also changes within their own families and routines. In the work, Real Women and Mythical Womanhood, …show more content…
Many white women began to take on much heavier economic responsibilities because most of the male population had gone into battle. Jeanie Attie noted that, “...working class women are forced to make excruciating calculations in order to maintain farms and families”(Attie,153). Women had taken on major responsibilities like the ones Attie mentioned, but they also had to manage their households while also supporting the war effort in becoming nurses and aids. By stepping into roles that were traditionally held by men and taking on new responsibilities, they had shown their capabilities and resilience. At the beginning of the war, white women had been used to motivate soldiers, they were made out to be “objects of protection”. Women had been seen as unable to protect or take care of themselves, when this was …show more content…
Black women not only took on a wide ray of responsibilities to support the war effort, they had also worked on advancing their push for emancipation and civil rights. Their contributions varied in forms of volunteer work, advocacy, espionage, working in factories, etc. Attie noted the contributions of black women in her work, she stated “black women. created their own relief societies focused on aiding former slaves.giving them support”(Attie,165). African American societies and their strength became incredibly important after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed. It was mentioned in the lecture that, black institutions, and black churches had nurtured African American power and also played a major role in social and political life in black communities (Hide, Lecture Week 15). Black women had shaped African American communities and this had allowed them to eventually gain a respected status, through their hard work of advocacy and through their contributions to the war their influence and bravery was
Show More

Related Documents: Women During The Civil War

Women's Role In The Civil War

The Civil War started April 12th, 1861 and ended April 9th, 1865. During these 4 years both men and women went to work. Each and every person in the family had to step up and take on a role. Men mostly went off to battle, some were drafted and some chose to go off. Women's roles in the Civil War however varied from nurses, spies, some disguised as men and joined the fight, and lastly but certainly not least stayed home to care for the children and other responsibilities. Women's roles as nurses…

Words 1118 - Pages 5

Women In The Civil War

the Red Cross, Clara Barton, once said that the Civil War caused “fifty years in the advance of the normal position” of women. Even before the Civil War, women gathered and raised money to help feed hungry families and to support the town. However, being allowed to form groups that helped the community was the most freedom women received before the Civil War. While widows in the past did own land, and other women left their farms to work in cities during the beginning of the industrial revolution,…

Words 1535 - Pages 7

What Role Did Women Play In The Civil War Essay

The Role of Women In the Civil War Typically, when one thinks of the Civil War, one thinks of the role played by men during that time period. History books reflect mainly on the men that fought and died in the war. While many may believe men were the only ones that contributed in the Civil War, that isn't actually the case. Women also had a large impact on the outcome of this war. During the war, women took on new roles to support their families. Women were generally viewed as the primary caretakers…

Words 1679 - Pages 7

Florence Nightingale Research Paper

Crimean War, Florence Nightingale was a pioneer of early nursing and defined much of what we now see as commonplace today. Throughout several early health care milestones, she served as an inspiration for others to build upon her work to help health care continue to grow. During one early milestone, the Civil War, several hundred women volunteered for the war effort despite their lack of training and education only to be met with contempt from the military field physicians. Throughout the Civil War,…

Words 968 - Pages 4

Women's Role In The Civil War

Throughout history and even today, women have fought and strived for equal rights. The circumstances of certain time periods allowed women to expand their role in society. For example, the Civil War played a major part in the advancement of women’s roles. When the Civil War broke out, women rose up to serve next to men. With women partaking in the Civil War in roles such as spies and nurses, women transcended their stereotypes and their participation in the war lead to their newly found drive to…

Words 1376 - Pages 6

Women's Rights In The 19th Century

the women during the 19th century. Back then, women weren’t acknowledged and they weren’t given rights such as voting. Women usually stayed home instead, suffering under the rule of their husbands most of the time because of their lack of power and opportunity. “Women enjoyed few of the legal, social, or political rights that are now taken for granted in western countries...their occupational choices were also extremely limited” (“Women in the 19th Century…”). However, during the Civil War,…

Words 913 - Pages 4

Women in the Civil War Essay

The Heroes of our Heroes The Civil War was no doubt one of the most gruesome and bloody battles that Americans fought. The Civil war had a total casualty 618,000 and some experts say the total reached 700,000. This number crushed all wars in American histories in lives lost and damage done. Though the war sacrificed thousands of patriotic American men, both African American’s and whites; the most silenced number of people who were the angels of the civil wars were women. Both confederate and Union…

Words 1554 - Pages 7

Women's Roles During The Civil War

women's lives and statuses during the Civil War were tremendously refined. The conflict of the Civil War gave both Northern and Southern women a significant role in fundamental fields. Nursing and feeding the soldiers, along with keeping them clothed were exceptionally valuable endeavors. By becoming a necessity to the men at war, the female population in American managed to finally exceed the preceding stereotypical description. With most of the men fighting in the war, women were left feeling helpless…

Words 532 - Pages 3

How Did Ww2 Improved American Society

often seen as unpleasant, especially in times of war. World War II began when Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939. Soon after England declared war on Germany, other countries became involved in the war. The Nazis were so relentless to have power that the allies almost didn’t overcome Germany. The Battle of Berlin, being hard fought, was won by the Soviet Union and, thus, the beginning of the end of World War II. Bloody and violent, this war cost many lives, and it also dramatically had lasting…

Words 711 - Pages 3

Summary Of America's Women By Gail Collins

“The Civil War: Nurses, Wives, Spies, and Secret Soldiers”, one of the chapters from Gail Collins’s book America’s Women chronicles the situation/state of American women during the Civil War. It seems to suggest that both women’s attitude as well as their state/condition during the war depended on several factors. However, in most cases, it is women’s social and economic background that should be treated as the crucial factor influencing women’s lives. In order to support this argument, several issues/instances…

Words 730 - Pages 3