Influence of Women on American History Through the Civil War

The charm of Wo persist force on the groundwork of the States and by dint of 1877 Kelley Swatsenbarg Way drop off Baptist University San Antonio Center Mr. Thomas Gaj May 4, 2010 The submit of Women on the Founding of America and by dint of and with 1877 Throughout the rough(prenominal) years of history, women beat al routes had some kind of persuade in all over man. Whether it be coercing him, tricking him, or demanding of him, they changed the actions of men. sometimes it has been altogether unintentional sometimes intentional.sometimes it has been covertly sometimes overtly. fewtimes it has been the m differents of owing(p) men qualification decisions some their lift sometimes it has been the plectrons made by distaff leaders or leaders wives. The joined States in no different women beget been influencing, directly or indirectly, the decision and actions of the men in America starting from the choice to fund Christopher Columbuss misdirect exploration. Famou s impertinent rulers draw shape America, from the beginning of the history of the United States.The commencement ceremony, of course, is the illustrious Isabella, Queen of Spain, who convinced queen regnant Ferdinand to pay Christopher Columbuss exploration to re fellow member a route to Asia by travelling west. and so Elizabeth, Queen of England, decided to accent to colonize the Americas to get tax r eventideue enhancement thus causing great total of Englishmen to colonize the United States. Some women did what they could in gateways the confines of their impostally established grapheme of nurturer and were mingled in the medical field. twain examples are Susie King Taylor and bloody shame Edwards baby buggy.Susie King Taylor traveled with her conserve who was in E Company 33rd United States moody Troops during the elegant War. She was a reason slave who became their arrest, laundress, cook, teacher, and even comforted the unrelenting soldiers even on their deathbed. bloody shame Edwards Walker was as well a wedding nurse during Civil War who finally won a commission in the regular army as a surgeon, and was the only fair sex to receive a Congressional pastar of Honor. Dorthea Dix helped organize the Union Army potbelly of Nurses and was appointed superintendent of the Union nurses. on that point was the teacher, Clara Barton, promptly a known add-on, who, posterior on the outbreak of the Civil War, remained in sense of touch with many former students in the naked as a jaybird England Volunteer Regiment that went south. Their mothers gave her gifts for their sons as they fancy that she, as a nurse, would be qualified to get packages to them. She realized that these were not gifts, just now rather necessities deal soap from this she created the American Red Cross. She was in addition a Union nurse who bravely stayed to help surgeons chthonic fire when all the male assistants fled. Some women personally aided so ldiers and the to a lower placeprivileged.One much(prenominal)(prenominal) cleaning char cleaning cleaning woman was Margaret Corbin who traveled with her conserve to get hold of care of him during the war, doing womans work, restrain was in a battle with her husband. When he died in battle, she took over the cannon she was wound and later received the depression retired stultification pension for a woman. Some women created ambition in various forms of literature to take a crap hope to the men of this nation. One was Ethel Lynn Beers who wrote poetry and published a poem shed highborn The Picket Guard. The poem was adapted to symphony and sung by soldiers on both sides in the Civil War. other woman of inspiration is Lydia Maria Child who wrote An magical spell in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans_ _that was a key to persuading many Americans of the need for abolishment of thrall. Some women were acclaimed world gigantic, equivalent Catherine Ma ria Sedgwick, who wrote numerous historical sketches and biographies. Her writing is considered to be completely American in both panorama and feeling it captured the all of the characterx and manners of forward-looking England. Another American author was gentleness Otis rabbit warren, the wife of politician, James Warren the couple had a pixilated friendship with Abigail and tin transports. tush encouraged her to economise the history of the American alteration. Ironically, he ostracized her and her husband because of candid accounts of atrocities against women and children during the war. By far the just approximately storied writer to gear up governing was Harriet Beecher Stowe who became a celebrity when she published Toms confine in 1851 depicting the atrocious lives of threatening slaves in the South. In 1852 she was introduced to prexy Abraham capital of Nebraska who greeted her So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War o ther(a) women created nationalistic symbols which would inspire generations of Americans.Betsy Ross, operated an upholstery shop, became legendary for making the first stars-and-stripes at the request of George capital of the United States which was adopted as the national ease up by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. Another example of a woman who inspired is Julia Ward Howe, a noteworthy writer who wrote the celebrated Battle anthem of the Republic. Many women inspired men through their patriotic activities. One great patriot that inspired Georgia was their most famous effeminate patriot of the Revolutionary War, Nancy Hart, whose durable endeavors get rid of British and their sympathizers. besides the most famous heroic female person patriot, in spite of her flaws, is Dolly Madison, the wife of James Madison and acting first lady for Thomas Jefferson. She could perk up work out them in their politics, besides she inspired the multitude with her patriot deeds. Du ring her husbands incumbency as professorship, the British attacked uppercase, D. C. She had the foresight to save not only the silver only when also secret documents and a portraiture of George Washington which would have give carely been destroyed. Another patriot was Molly Pitcher, originally named bloody shame Ludwig Hays.During the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, she was with her husband on the front lines. Seeing that the soldiers were thirsty, she made her way through ferocious fighting to extend pitchers of water to the artillery gunners, and she even took over her husbands job as rammer when her husband was hurt and could no bimestrial man the gun mission. Sometimes women invented machines or assisting others in their endeavors to invent. For example, Martha Coston developed an elaborate dodge of flares called Night Signals that allowed ships to transmit nocturnal messages which was later purchased by the U.S. Navy. Also, Mary Walton patented a method of deflecting smo ke stack emissions through water tanks later adapted the schema for use on locomotives and invented a mental disturbance reduction system for elevated railroads. On the other hand Catharine (Kitty) Littlefield Greene helped Eli Whitney compensate up his workshop and was among the few people to delay his first prototype of the cotton gin. At the time it was able to remove the seed, still the cotton fibers kept getting stuck in the mechanisms. Kitty simply suggested sweeping the fibers by and the rest, shall we say, is history.Some women have taken stairs out of the boundaries of the traditional role by being the first woman to thrash a man in a particular field. Among these was Lady Deborah Moody who, because of lack of religious freedom, led a assembly of helpers to the Dutch colony of cutting Netherland where she launched the settlement of Grave manoeuvre in Brooklyn. Also because of views near standard religions, Mary Baker spin around founded Christian Science as good as the six time Pulitzer appraise winning report, The Christian Science Monitor. in time other women inspired men to pretend of women as much equal by making the same achievements as men. setoff in that respect wasMary Katherine Goddard, the first woman publisher who was asked by the signers of the Declaration of license to print the first official copies of the document. there was also Margaret Fuller, the first female foreign correspondent. In medicine, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to have from medical school, and Sarah Hackett Stevenson was the first female member of the American Medical Association. Sometimes women baffle men by political activism like Harriett Delille who campaigned for childrens labor salutarys or Ester Deberdt reed who formed a womens giving medication that collected $300,000 for Washingtons army. alleviate others campaigned for workers rights like Sarah Bagley who fought for a ten-hour workday. Of course now the laws state th at a workday mustiness be no longer than ogdoad hours a day or cardinal hours per week, save we would not have progressed to where we are without her protesting. Others spoke out for womens rights like Susan B. Anthony, Isabella Stowe Beecher, Lucretia Coffin Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, just to name a few. Yet others spoke out against slavery like Abby Folsom, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Maria Stewart, and Truth Sojourner.capital of Seychelles Woodhull took activism a step further when she became a politician and was the first women to campaign for president of the United States in 1872. Sometimes their influence has simply been by virtue of the circumstance that they were unite to famous men and they have influenced their husbands actions. Martha Washington, as we all know, was the wife of President George Washington. She was the first first-lady forming the model for all first ladies to come with her abilities to balance managing a plantation, lay state dinners and f unction, visiting scout troops, and assigning her relationship with George by supporting and advising him.Abigail Smith Adams was the wife of Samuel Adam and mother of John Quincy Adams who would later run low president. She was his confidant, counselor, and advisor sharing her political views with him and even ensample him close future problems including womens rights. Their son, John Quincy Adams married Louisa Adams. Louisa, the only first lady not born in America, is reputed to have made many affable calls to help him get elected. Deborah Read abruptlin was the vulgar law wife of Benjamin Franklin. She also took over his responsibilities as owner of a printing business and as post skipper part he was away on diplomatical affairs.On the other hand, Elizabeth Schuler Hamilton spent her inviolate life dedicate to memorializing her husbands heritage. She even ensured a brass brass section was placed on their sons grave in Sacramento, California dedicated to Alexanders pat riotism. Sarah Livingston Jay would pass blue-chip information, and gossip, to her husband, John Jay which helped him plot he was depository of foreign affairs this position was also the channelize of Congress and thereby the de- pointo head of state. Mary White Morris and her husband Robert Morris were close friends of John and Sally Jay, often having many a long political discussion. era Rebecca Ann Felton, the husband of William Felton, helped him write his speeches while he served as a congressman between 1875 thru 1881. Still other women were simply involved with activities which have influenced domestic politics like, Irene Sanford Emerson who was sued by a former slave, Dred Scott. Mr. Scott traveled with Mr. Emerson while he was in the army stati peerlessd in the North he claimed he had been emancipated as a result of having lived with his master in the free state of Illinois. The act ruled in favor of Mrs. Emerson Mr.Scott appealed to the dogmatic Court where the dec ision was upheld, but it set the precedence that blacks had a legal right to file suit in a civil court, as previously blacks were considered dimension and therefore, like a chair, could not litigate. at that place were also many Native American women who assisted and acted as diplomats for the settlers and colonists. One was Mary Musgrove, an American Indian interpreter, diplomat, and businesswoman. She was raised by Colonists and, because she knew both languages well, she interpreted for James Oglethorpe when he founded the colony of Georgia.She also inherited land from her Native American mother, as their tradition was to pass dimension down the matriarchal line. The English refused to accept the legality of her property ownership and she took them to court. They negotiated and came to a compromise some of the land was sold by the British with her receiving the proceeds. Then there was Pocahontas, Native American princess who helped the Jamestown settlers by bringing them food and warning them of her causes attacks.She was held prisoner by the settlers in an effort to force her father into a peace agreement, but he refused she eventually converted her to Christianity and married John Rolfe. Because of her position as wife of John Rolfe and daughter of an Indian chief, she was able to maintain peace between the two communities. Sacajawea was some other Native American who influenced American politics. She was married to a french man, Toussaint Charbonneau, the guide chartered by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition. Sacajawea went with her husband and interpreted with the Native American Indians.She would render to Charbonneau in French and he would fork over to Lewis and Clark into English. During her trip she gave birth to a son, and, all the while taking care of him, channelize the explorers trough Indian lands, protected them from Indian attacks, kept valuable items from being doomedher husband was a klutz, and even found them food to supp lement their all-meat diet. Other women covertly did the jobs of men such as Deborah Champion, a young girl who bought parcels, messages and pay to public George Washington when soldiers could not.Some other messengers were Behethland Moore and Sybil Ogden Ludington, dubbed the female Paul Revere (she rode about divalent as far as he did on his famous ride). Still other women, like Harriet Tubmana conductor on the Underground Railroad, acted secrectly. The history of the world abounds with famous female spies like Pauline Cushman, a Union shit, became a camp follower of the follower army. She was discover, tried in a military court, and reprobated to hang they delayed her moveence due to her health and she was rescued by Union forces. Upon her return North, President capital of Nebraska made her an honorary major.Elizabeth Van Lew was a famous and effective Union sleuth. She entered the ally Libby Prison on the pretense of humanitarian reasons, and, since the guards thought she was harmless and crazy, she gained information about the strength and disposition of the troops. As her work continued, she devised a way to send coded messages inside eggs. Belle Boyd used her feminine wiles to gain secrets and snare drum Union soldiers. Others posed as soldiers and fought in war. During the Civil War, Ann Clarke dressed as a man in the Confederate army. She was wounded, taken prisoner, and later anaesthetized.Prudence Wright gathered a womens troop and dressed in husbands uniforms to defend their city from the British. They captured a British spy and turned him over to the colonial Army. Deborah Sampson Gannet dressed as man in order to fight in Revolution her husband received land and was condition the pension of a soldier. During her career she was wounded several times and caught a feverishness which nearly took her life. If it were not for the fever she would have remained a soldier longer, but a doctor finally discovered her secret, but he did not p ublicly release the fact, sooner he sent her to popular GeorgeWashington who immediately discharged her. Then there was the famous story of Sarah Emma Edmonds who enlisted in the Union army as Frank Thompson, a male nurse. She effectively quiet her secret for many years even taking on disguises of men and women, blacks and whites to spy. She left hand the army for medical treatment in an area where she was unknown, when she did this, Frank Thompson was viewed as a deserter. Afterwards, she fought to be recognized for her achievements, and, with a particular(prenominal) act of Congress, she was honorably discharged and given a pension. The Confederacy had plenty of female spies too.Included in this number is Antonia hybridization who passed along to Confederate J. E. B. Stuart information on Union troop activity. Rose ONeal Greenhow was such a successful spy that she was imprisoned twice, and then exiled to the Confederate states. She was to go game Britain and France as a pro pagandist for the Confederate cause her memoirs were published with a wide sale throughout the British Isles. She obtained more and more sympathy for the South. There was also the case of Loreta Janeta Velazquez who enlisted in disguise and served at Manassas/Bull Run, Balls Bluff, Fort Donelson, and Shiloh under the name Lieutenant Harry T.Buford. She also claims to have served as a spy and worked working as a double agent for the Confederacy in the advantage of the U. S. Secret Service. To this day no one can determine if in fact any of these accounts are true,, although a newspaper report mentions a Lieutenant Bensford arrested when it was divulge he was actually a woman giving her name as Alice Williams. tear down in Colonial times America was full of willing female spies and messengers such as Dicey Langston was a teenage colonial spy who forded a river, up to her shoulders, to get details of British troop movement to the colonial army.And then there was Emily Geiger a messe nger for oecumenic Greene in the Colonial army. Coming from the direction of Greenes army, she was venture and confined to a room. The officer sent for a woman to search her for papers. She seek to destroy the letter once the door was shut, she ate up the letter, piece by piece. Lydia Darragh was a mortician and would watch British troops from the window of her house. She sent messages about their activities through one of her sons and then to another(prenominal) soldier to get information to Washingtons Army.British officer major(ip) Andre commandeered her house, but allowed the family to stay in the house. She could then listen in on their plotting and send word of their plans. Others influences were merely accidental like Peggy ONeale Eaton, married Senator John Eaton in 1828 during Andrew capital of Mississippis presidency. Many gossiped about her colorful past and seeming unfaithfulness with her first husband, when she married Eaton, she shunned by cabinet members wives due to her assumed sordid past. The expression of the ladies towards her and the influence upon their husbands created such a calamity that the cabinet fell apartJackson fired them all.An unintentional influence on mens actions was Betsy Loring who was General Howes mistress although she was the wife a loyalist, she flurry General Howe by entertaining and distracting him from battles with General Washington. The United States of America owes an enormous debt to Mary Ball Washington. She set the example of self-colored morals and religious opinions, and even bear witness to her children aloud. We need to thank her for one by the bye decision that she made regarding the future of her son. When George was xiv years old, his half-brother Lawrence obtained a midshipmans warrant for him in the English oceanic service.George was already packed and ready to go, but his mother refused to give her consent at the last minute. So, because of an inadvertent decision, George Washington becam e the grow of Our Country and our first President instead of an English naval officer. In conclusion, in all nations, including the United States, women have been influencing, every directly or indirectly, the decision and actions of the men. no matter of whether we believe that changes women have made are good or bad, they have helped define this great nation of ours, and, as the French say, Viva la difference. Collins, G. (2003). Americas Women 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines. New York HarperCollins Publishers Roberts, C. (2004_) Founding Mothers the Women Who Raised Our Nation. _ New York HarperCollins Publishers Roberts, C. (2008). Ladies of Liberty the Women Who wrought Our Nation. New York HarperCollins Publishers Taylor, S. K. (2004). The Diary of Susie King Taylor, Civil War nurse. Tarrytown, NY Benchmark books Zall, P. M. (1991). Founding Mothers Profiles of hug drug Wives of Americas Founding Fathers. Bowie, MD Heritage Books