The American Civil War began on April 12th, 1861. The civil war was between the northern and southern states it was the inevitable consequence of the contradictions between the two social systems in the country. Over 2 million Union and Confederate soldiers had prepared for battle. The war lasted for four years, and it was well documented and historically analyzed for many years to come. One aspect of the war is for the first time in American history, women played a significant role in a war. At that time women weren't treated as equal to men. Women have always been traditionally excluded from all combat, both in the Union and Confederate armies. The women’s role during the civil war made a great lasting impact and had created a turning point for women and their role in society.
Many of the motivations acquired by women to fight in war varied. Although their reasons varied many reasons were very similar to the reasons why the men wanted to fight. Women did not sit around waiting for the men that were in their lives to come home from war, many women however did step up and supported the war wanted to help fight. Many of their reasons would range from their desire to serve and help, patriotism, as well as to support their respective causes, to earn money and many was due to a loved one who was out in battle.
Women’s work would be needed more than ever before, neither the Confederate or the Union government were prepared to supply their troops. Soldiers had to look up to their communities for uniforms food and even weapons. Women began sowing uniforms and packing lunches for the soldiers. In the South women showed support of war by sowing their own homemade clothes, this was new for them because they had always depended on slave labor for their clothing. Often women who children who were not old enough to go to war had them help as well. Many of the children were often tasked with making ends meet by sewing their clothes as well as making soaps, and candles.
Wartime was the first time that women truly had a sense of freedom. Prior to the war starting, most women had devoted their lives to cleaning, sewing, and overall creating a comfortable home for their husbands and children. While many women stayed home there were many jobs that needed to get done that they were never allowed to do yet alone know how to do. Women who stayed behind found themselves taking on the responsibility to help raise money to keep the army funded as well as providing for their homes. The women now had to do what was done by the men in their lives, whether it be their dad, brother, or husband. Many had learn how to run their family business and many had to run their family farms, as well as getting the crops out of the fields while their men had gone out to war. Many women would look over the slaves that did not go to war and opted to personally make warm clothes for the soldiers and as well and send them crops. Many women would walk miles to get the necessities to their men. While some women had gone out to help at their local hospitals, a minority of the women braved the dangers as spies and soldiers.
Many women of the Civil war era were very courageous and had performed a variety of hard, and sometimes life-threatening labor. At the time of the Civil War era the nursing profession was strictly only men. Many women had only administered nurse duties strictly just in the home, because they were not allowed to outside of the home. Soon with a growing number of men needing aide many of those women served as nurses in both the union and confederate army, many women went to help in the hospitals in their cities that had received wounded soldiers while many women were payed and many were not. A popular woman figure is Clara Barton. She was a hospital nurse in the war and later founded the American Red Cross. Clara Barton became a popular figure because she would refuse to wait for any wounded solider to go to her after the war. She would nurse them where they have fallen or got shot and injured. There were over 2000 women who volunteered to work as nurses. They had to prove they could cure and work under chaotic circumstances by administrators and surgeons who were most men. Many women who took those jobs as nurses also did a lot of the cooking, served meals as well as assisting surgeons during medical operations such as amputations.
All of the women's actions during the war showed that they were more than capable to become more recognized as equal to men. The reality of women not being allowed to fight in war brought on approximately 400 documented women serving quietly on the home front disguised as men on both sides of the battle. The women disguised as men were convincing to the point where many did not get discovered that they were women until they passed away or had gotten seriously injured that required being treated immediately for any medical illnesses or injuries. To me what I found most interesting was that a minority of the women braved the dangers of war as spies during the Civil War. Some women were used as spies because they were not recognized as to be really aware of the circumstances about wars to the point where they could pass secrets. In that instance they were able to gather information from their rivals. Many women would hide secret files under their hoop skirt and in their corsets, and many times they would leave the messages for the soldiers or generals in certain areas for them to find. These women also would smuggle supplies such as medicine and ammunition all in the same form, by hiding them under their large hoop skirts. One woman named Emeline Pigott had offered her services to be a spy for the Confederate Army. At just the age of twenty five years old she would host dinner parties for local Union soldiers and gather as much information as she can about their plans, information about federal ships and their cargos. She would hid in the fold of her skirt, as well as designated hollow trees so the soldiers could them retrieve them.
The lasting impact of women in the civil war by helping out, by nursing, helping as spies, cooking and providing for our soldiers.