Essay On The Role Of Women In The Civil War
Dyke 2
Women in the Civil War
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Women in the Civil War The role of women in the Civil War was multifaceted and diverse on both sides of the battle lines. For whatever reason women decided to enlist in the army, they faced more hurdles than their male counterparts, and for this reason, remain significant.[footnoteRef:1] During the Civil War, there were specific roles tailored for and occupied by women, such as the role of ““vivandieres” or Daughters of the Regiment”[footnoteRef:2] These “paramilitary roles”[footnoteRef:3] were most often than not, created by women themselves, and they served as “morale-boosters and sources of comfort and inspiration.”[footnoteRef:4] These women, the so called Daughters of the Regiment, suffered the same difficulties as their male …show more content…
While many occupied more traditional roles such as nurses or Daughters of the Regiment, others served as spies, while others actually went into battle alongside their male counterparts. The fact of the matter is, woman who went into battle were forced to conceal themselves, and ultimately pose as men, spending the entire war in disguise. The grit and ingenuity of some of the women discussed in this paper, demonstrate the powerful presence of women during the American Civil War. Women motivated to reunite with their family members at war performed incredible feats in order to find their loved ones while at the same time surviving the gruesome realities of war. Other women single handedly braved danger and death to help their respective sides of war, crossing enemy lines, and gathering or imparting information, and in Thompson’s case, leading to the death of a Confederate General. In the end, the women who served in the Civil War will remain within the pages of history just as valiant, and heroic, if not more so than the men they fought alongside
Women in the Civil War
Name
Class
Professor
Date
Women in the Civil War The role of women in the Civil War was multifaceted and diverse on both sides of the battle lines. For whatever reason women decided to enlist in the army, they faced more hurdles than their male counterparts, and for this reason, remain significant.[footnoteRef:1] During the Civil War, there were specific roles tailored for and occupied by women, such as the role of ““vivandieres” or Daughters of the Regiment”[footnoteRef:2] These “paramilitary roles”[footnoteRef:3] were most often than not, created by women themselves, and they served as “morale-boosters and sources of comfort and inspiration.”[footnoteRef:4] These women, the so called Daughters of the Regiment, suffered the same difficulties as their male …show more content…
While many occupied more traditional roles such as nurses or Daughters of the Regiment, others served as spies, while others actually went into battle alongside their male counterparts. The fact of the matter is, woman who went into battle were forced to conceal themselves, and ultimately pose as men, spending the entire war in disguise. The grit and ingenuity of some of the women discussed in this paper, demonstrate the powerful presence of women during the American Civil War. Women motivated to reunite with their family members at war performed incredible feats in order to find their loved ones while at the same time surviving the gruesome realities of war. Other women single handedly braved danger and death to help their respective sides of war, crossing enemy lines, and gathering or imparting information, and in Thompson’s case, leading to the death of a Confederate General. In the end, the women who served in the Civil War will remain within the pages of history just as valiant, and heroic, if not more so than the men they fought alongside