Preview

Sex and prostitution among troops during the American Civil War

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
730 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sex and prostitution among troops during the American Civil War
Sex and prostitution among troops during the American Civil War

War produces unbelievable violence, it is seen as one of the world's worst inventions, it generates death , misery and injustice just for the sake of incomprehension between people. One side of wars are normally hidden from us, they are modified or simply not discussed about, but they are there. Sex is one of them, sex has been used for centuries by warriors and soldiers to impose power to the enemy by cowardly targeting the weakest rivals, woman.
Rape and sexual assault during military armed conflicts are described as psychological warfare, thus harming and affecting the enemies emotions and feelings more than it's body. Now when carried out thoroughly and as a systematic practice, rape and sexual slavery are now recognized under the United Nations Geneva Convention as crimes against humanity and serious war crimes.
During the American civil war, reports of rape and sexual misconduct among the troops has not been highly publicized and this is mostly because there has not been many cases of this issue, although a few have been noted. Most confederate records were destroyed after the war, providing an ever harder understanding of the facts but experts believe that during the war only thirty martial court trials were held because or rape. Mostly black woman suffered from sexual assault and black men, especially in the south were punished more severely than white men if they were found guilty of sexual misconduct.
One of the main reasons why rape victims were not particularly high during the American civil war, was because prostitution among troops was fairly high. Mostly this was caused by a general depression throughout the United States, during the years of the conflict many woman who had no other way of maintaining themselves because their husbands were at war started to sell their bodies in exchange of money. Also some historians say that woman

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Civil War affected the normal americans life in many ways. The war killed many american men and changed women's lives. The women had to work as nurses, government clerks, and factory workers, which were positions that were mostly held by men. They also were members of groups that helped soldiers. Thousands of women also ran farms while their husbands were at war.…

    • 169 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the American literary landscape the span of ‘Romantic Period’ also known as the ‘American Renaissance’ was from 1828 till 1865. Romanticism is crucial to American society, to the degree that the very making of the United States has been viewed as a representation of a romantic thought. It was the focal development of the American Renaissance, being most promptly interceded through introspective philosophy or transcendentalism, and it keeps on applying a significant impact on American thought and composing. In this regard the significance of Ralph Waldo Emerson can barely be misrepresented, since he both adapted…

    • 1095 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the Civil War, Women’s lives were significantly affected very largely. Women were treated so terribly that it got to the point where they tried to dress like men and fight in the war. Mainly, the women who did not fight looking like men were nurses. Both Mary Chestnut and Rebecca Adams share magnificent readings looking at the Civil War through women’s eyes.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1955-1980 Source Analysis

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Using a variety of sources, this essay will explain how the combining war efforts of the United States, South and North Vietnam influence the escalation of women maltreatment, despite their contributions to the Vietnam War. Though the war ended in 1975, this investigation is focused on the effect of the war until 1980 to allow for an analysis of the impact on women in its post-war period.…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars that had occurred on American history. No one could know about the catastrophe that would occur because of the fight against slavery. It was one of those times where women were needed in order to settle the fight. Women spies were of a great help during the war since it was not known for such methods to be used. The more common way of having spying operations was the usage of men spies rather than females.…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    VN War: The moral issues it raised as soldiers were brutalised and desensitised after the killing.…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    These malicious acts were used as a way to change the ethnic makeup of the area, by impregnating women with Serbian babies so as to create a larger Serbian population in the future and drive out the Bosniaks and Croats. Rape was simply another strategy used in their overall goal of ethnically cleansing Bosnia and overtaking the land as Serbian territory. It is believed that up to 60,000 women were raped in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995(*), but the number may be much higher as many rape victims do not come forward due to the shame and humiliation they feel. Many witnesses recount events of the systematic rape, and often murder, of women and girls during the time by the Serbian military (*). There is also mention of specific ‘rape camps’ through the country that held women and girls of all ages who were repeatedly raped by soldiers. Unfortunately, tactical rape is a common occurence in war zones but it was not until 1992 that the UN Security Council declared widespread rape to be an international crime, specifically noting the Muslim women in Bosnia (*). Later, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia cited rape as a crime against humanity, equal with such acts as torture and murder, and added sexual slavery under the definition of slavery (*). The act of rape as a military tactic is in direct interference with article 5 of the UDHR, which states that no one shall be subjected to cruel or degrading treatment. In Behind Enemy Lines, there is no direct mention made to the widespread rape committed by the Serbians which is a shame because it was such a large issue during this time. Given the fact that this movie takes place towards the end of the war and focuses on the involvement of US soldiers, it misses out on some very key and important aspects of the Bosnian…

    • 1298 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Blacks were paid $10 per month which $3 were deducted for clothing while the whites were pad $13 with no clothing allowance was drawn from the hites paycheck. African-Americans were treated poorly because of what they were on their skin an inside on what they were before the Union as they were former slaves in the South, but they were consider runaway slaves in the South. There was discrimination in going on in the military . When Confederate captured black troops they are treated more harshly and end u in death because they are considered a traitor in the South prison camps where the whites are not treated horrible unlike the blacks that were captured and treated terribly where they would starve for weeks at a time. One particular person that was a runaway slave from a plantation near Yorktown his name is George Scott help scout the Confederate lines on what they were trying to use to defeat the…

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    When the Civil War broke out, women were still not seen as equals. That did not women from doing everything that men did, they worked as spies, prison guards, scouts, cooks, nurses, and they fought in combat. Women were forbidden by the Union and Confederate armies to enlist. Although women knew the law, over 1,000 women had disguised themselves and enlisted as men. Women who did not serve in combat, worked as nurses because they needed help on the front with injured soldiers.…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Before the war, women didn’t have a lot of rights. During the war, the women had to pay the bills so they started working in factories and making things to sell such as quilts and clothing. Some women liked to work and wanted to have more rights, while others preferred to go back home and work in the house. Women were also included in the war. Over 600 women became spies during the Civil War for both sides. The women…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women had many roles in the Civil War. One of their main roles was at the home front. The North and the South had very different approaches given the financial differences. In the North women organized many Ladies Aid Societies. In these societies women would bake, can, and plant food that they would then send to the troops. They also made uniforms, blankets, pillows, socks, and gloves for the soldiers. Other than making food and clothes for the soldiers they raised money for medical supplies and other necessities. In total they raised about $50 million for the army. Women had to take over jobs that men had before the war. They worked at factories, schools, farms, and government offices. Some of the women also went to…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The women were affected by the Civil war because when the men left the homes the women had to take their roll at home.Women during the civil war dressed up as men to go help fight in the war. Eventually, in the 1860s laws were made to made provoke women from fighting in the war.…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Typically, when we think of the Civil War, we think of the role of men during that time. History books reflect on the men that had 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 primary caretakers of the home and of children. Previously throughout history they didn’t usually take part in the same roles that men did. During the Civil War, women not only took on their usual roles of being in control of the home life, they actually joined in on the war…

    • 1584 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Child soldiers are some of the most troubled populations of children and adolescents. According to Klasen, Oettingen, Daniel, and Adam,“The experiences the children the children are inflicted on are beatings, torture, witness of killing, and sexual abuse” (573). Also, according to Klasen, Oettingen, Daniels, and Adam, children who have traumatic experiences are more likely to have mental health issues (574). One of these problems is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to Bayer et. Al and Vinck et, al, “child soldiers with more posttraumatic symptoms are less open to reconciliation, have higher feelings of revenge, and favor violent forms of behavior to resolve conflicts (Klasen, Oettingen, Daniels, and Adam 580). Therefore, because of the violence the children are witnessing, they are developing mental health issues.…

    • 299 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The problem, sadly as it may be, may never go away completely but any such horrific acts weighs heavily on not only the victims but the team. Understanding reporting of such crimes has increased over the past ten years, but there are still some that never say a word. Most of the cases reported are from female victims even though this happens to men also. Men are often less willing to seek support. Men face some unique challenges following an experience of sexual trauma. Male victims may feel isolated, alienated from others, and emotionally vulnerable. Most sexual assaults on men involve more than one attacker, weapons, or forced participation. For men, sexual assault can lead to much shame and self-doubt. It may also trigger negative self-judgments and cause victims to question their masculinity. Even with all the resources the Military has poured into the program and support most…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays