Annie Bogush
Mrs. Camera
HIS1501
20 December 2019
Women had some political influence both leading up to and after the war. One woman that stands out the most is Abigail Adams. She was the wife of John Adams and a remarkably independent woman. Abigail Adams was self educated, raised four children on her own, and aided her husband on his politics. Adams first political role was in 1775 when she was appointed by the Massachusetts Colony General Court to question women who were charged by their words and actions for being loyalists and working against independence. While the Second Continental Congress was debating the Declaration of Independence Abigail Adams wrote letters to her husband urging him to use this development of new government to give rights to women.
John Adams disregarded this plea for rights but Abigail's words went on to be some of the earliest recordings for women's rights. Later in 1778 when John Adams became Minister of France, Abigail Adams would frequently write him letters. These letters would inform him of domestic politics and keep Abigail informed on international affairs. After the Revolution, Abigail Adams was able to keep her spot in the world of politics by becoming the First Lady.
Another woman who helped to politically influence the Revolution was Mercy Warren. Warren's father was a prominent lawyer and Patriot, giving her a taste for politics and a distaste for British rule from a young age. Mercy married James Warren in 1754, and the two of them would often hosted gatherings of Patriot activists and members of the Sons of Liberty. She supported the Boston Tea Party, the boycotting of British goods, and many of the other early acts of rebellion. Mercy went on to put her political insights and observations into writings and plays. Mercy anonymously produced several plays that helped to spread feelings of anger toward the British and the idea of a revolution. Some of her most influential plays were those that criticized British leaders in the Colonies. Mercy’s plays and strong political ideas put and kept her in contact with many of the founding fathers.
One of the most considerable ways women helped out in the American Revolution was by creating The Daughters of Liberty. The Daughters of Liberty was a sister group to the Sons of Liberty, however they were formed in response to the Townshend Acts and had a looser membership. This group did not participate in many of the violent acts the Sons of Liberty started, instead they organized boycotts, held “spinning bees”, and helped manufacture goods. Women were the primary buyers of goods in the colonies, so when Britain started imposing unfair taxes on the colonies women stopped buying goods. Over 300 women in Boston alone pledged not to buy or drink any tea that was under British taxation. Their protest lead them to start making their own ‘liberty teas’ out of currants, basil, mint, and even birch bark.
One of the only violent acts of the Daughters of Liberty was the “Coffee Party”. In 1777 a group of women confronted and assaulted a merchant who was accused of hoarding coffee in his warehouse. Abigail Adams took notice and wrote to her husband John about what had happened
The Daughters of Liberty were not prone to violence but they were not afraid to take what action they thought was necessary.
In the wake of the nonimportation agreements going on in the colonies many female Patriots wanted to find ways to not only participate in the boycotting of British goods but to also come up with long term solutions. So when calls for boycotts of British textiles were made, women tried to find a way to bring the production home. One of the ways they did this was by holding “spinning bees.” Spinning bees were day long contests in which women would get together and see who could spin the most wool into yarn. Newspapers at the time started writing about these contests that were being held throughout the colonies, most notably comparing the Daughters of Liberty's activities to those of the Sons of Liberty. “‘While New England’s Sons of Liberty indulged in rum, rhetoric, and roast pig, her Daughters worked from sunup to sundown to prove their commitment to ‘the cause of liberty and industry.’” While both groups were dedicated to the cause they showed their support in vastly different ways.
Many more women helped out on the battlefields than people believe. The American Revolution was being fought in their front yards and after being left behind by their husbands and sons women needed something to do to support themselves. Women took on supportive roles by being cooks, maids, laundresses, seamstresses, or water bearers, but the most popular way for women to help in the war was by being battlefield nurses. The revolution was the first time women were allowed to hold these roles on the battlefield as they were usually held for men. Nurses were originally just the women that were following soldiers and their husbands/sons around the battlefields. In 1777 Washington told his commanding officers to round up the female “camp followers” and have them become nurses that would help the doctors and surgeons. Even though rations and payment were offered many women were still unwilling to become nurses or hold other frontline jobs, because of the high mortality rates for both the soldiers and the women doing the jobs. Female nurses would also do custodial jobs like cooking for, feeding, and bathing patients. The women that followed the soldiers were poor and used to doing house chores so they were believed to be the best fit for the job.
Many women became soldiers despite regulations not officially permitting them to do so. They would cut their hair, bind their chests, take on masculine names, and dress in men's clothes. The reasons why women would join varied but the most common reasons would be because these women were generally young, unmarried, and poor. If they joined they would be able to earn money for their families. The first woman to ever receive a military pension was Margaret Corbin. After her husband was killed Margaret loaded and fired a cannon and she continued firing until she was wounded. Mary Ludwig Hays hauled water so the sponger could swab out the cannon barrel. When her husband collapsed in battle, Mary took his place, firing the cannon with the rest of the crew until the battle ended. It is speculated that the legend of “Molly Pitcher” refers to all of the women that fought in the war, but some believe it is either about Margaret Corbin or Mary Ludwig Hays.
Two women who disguised themselves as men and fought under George Washington were Deborah Sampson and Anna Maria Lane. Deborah Sampson was a Patriot and although she went on to tell women to leave politics and war to men, she still believed it was wrong to be denied the chance to fight based on gender. She talked about her service
Sampson enlisted in 1782, to avenge the deaths of American colonists by British soldiers. She served under the name Robert Shurtleff, achieved the rank of corporal, and fought in the battle of White Plains. She was injured twice, and once it was found out that she was a woman she was honorably discharged. Even though she had been discharged Sampson was eventually awarded a military pension. Sampson traveled after the war talking about her experiences in the war as a circuit lecturer. Anna Maria Lane followed her husband into the war when he enlisted in Connecticut in 1776. It is unclear if she started disguised as a man or not, but by the Battle of Germantown in October 1777 she was enlisted. It was said that Lane “performed extraordinary military services” and had the “courage of a soldier”. When the war ended both Lane and her husband were allowed to take out military pensions.
Women also served as spies on both sides of the revolution. Women were holding frontline jobs, and because men believed them to be innocent and unsuspecting, they were able to eavesdrop on conversations and spread information through gossip. Even the women still at home were able to be spies because of the same reasons. British soldiers that lived in Patriot women’s houses would sometimes share secrets about war too loudly and women would pass them on.
Anna Smith Strong was a part of the Culper Spy Ring. She was based in Setauket, Long Island and her job was to inform Caleb Brewster that information on British soldiers was ready to be picked up from her neighbor. Strong would indicate this by simply doing her laundry. If information was ready she would hang a black petticoat and white handkerchiefs on her clothesline. The petticoat signaled information, and she would hang one to six handkerchiefs to indicate which of the six coves of Long Island the information was in. Throughout the war, this system of relaying information was never broken and the Culper Ring stayed hidden.
Lydia Barrington Darragh was a Quaker living in Philadelphia during the war. During the British occupation of Philadelphia, many high ranking officers were stationed in Lydia’s home, and British General Sir William Howe was across the street. Howe would regularly hold meetings with his officers in the Darragh house. Lydia would spy on the meetings and have her husband write down her findings in the family’s shorthand. She would then take these messages and hide them in cloth buttons that she would sew into her son John’s coat. John would then take these messages and deliver them to his brother who was serving in the Continental Army. On December 2nd, 1777, the Darragh family was ordered by the British to stay in their bedroom while the soldiers and officers had a meeting. However, Lydia hid in a closet and listened to the entire meeting. Lydia heard the officers talk about a surprise attack on Washington's troops that was to occur on December 4th. She left that night after the meeting and delivered this information to Patriot soldiers. This information reached Washington and he was able to get his troops ready for the impending attack.
While women were not formally allowed to participate in the fighting of the American Revolution, without their efforts and influence the result would have been vastly different. Women were responsible for mass boycotts of British goods and helping to set up manufacturing on American soil. Many women like the members of the Daughters of Liberty and Mercy Warren were responsible for spreading the Patriot message and a distrust and hatred toward the British. Without female spies valuable British ntel would not have been delivered to the Patriot army, and attacks like the one on George Washington's troops would not have been stopped. Even though women knew that the Revolution would not give them rights they still decided to risk their lives and families to fight for independence.
Works Cited
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice, and Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. “The Daughters of Liberty: Who Were They and What Did They Do?” History of Massachusetts Blog, 11 Aug. 2018, historyofmassachusetts.org/who-were-the-daughters-of-liberty/.
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice, and Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. “The Roles of Women in the Revolutionary War.” History of Massachusetts Blog, 29 Apr. 2019, historyofmassachusetts.org/the-roles-of-women-in-the-revolutionary-war/.
“First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams.” Abigail Adams Biography :: National First Ladies' Library, www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=2.
“How the Daughters of Liberty Fought for Independence.” New England Historical Society, 25 Apr. 2019, www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/daughters-liberty-fought-independence/.
Howat, Kenna. “Revolutionary Spies.” National Women's History Museum, 9 Nov. 2017, www.womenshistory.org/articles/revolutionary-spies.
Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March - 5 April 1776, www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760331aa.
“Lydia Barrington Darragh.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Jan. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Lydia-Barrington-Darragh.
“Mercy Otis Warren.” American Battlefield Trust, 15 Aug. 2018, www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/mercy-otis-warren.
“Museum of the American Revolution.” Age of Homespun | Museum of the American Revolution | Philadelphia History Museum, 10 Feb. 2015, www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/history/age-homespun.
National Security Agency | Central Security Service > Article View, www.nsa.gov/About-Us/Current-Leadership/Article-View/Article/1620960/anna-strong/.
“Women of the Army.” History Is Fun, 13 Nov. 2015, www.historyisfun.org/blog/women-of-the-army/.
“Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army.” Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site, www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/volume7/nov08/women_revarmy.cfm.
Mrs. Camera
HIS1501
20 December 2019
Women in The American Revolution
Historically women have struggled to be seen as equal to men. Even though during the 1700s women had barely any rights, they did not let it stop them from fighting for their country's independence. They helped out both on the homefront and the battlefield, some were hidden, and some were public in their support. They put their lives on the line legally and illegally to fight for a country that did not and would not fight for them. Women played a larger role in the American Revolution than many believe should get credit for.Women had some political influence both leading up to and after the war. One woman that stands out the most is Abigail Adams. She was the wife of John Adams and a remarkably independent woman. Abigail Adams was self educated, raised four children on her own, and aided her husband on his politics. Adams first political role was in 1775 when she was appointed by the Massachusetts Colony General Court to question women who were charged by their words and actions for being loyalists and working against independence. While the Second Continental Congress was debating the Declaration of Independence Abigail Adams wrote letters to her husband urging him to use this development of new government to give rights to women.
I long to hear that you have declared an independency -- and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation. That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the more tender and endearing one of Friend.
John Adams disregarded this plea for rights but Abigail's words went on to be some of the earliest recordings for women's rights. Later in 1778 when John Adams became Minister of France, Abigail Adams would frequently write him letters. These letters would inform him of domestic politics and keep Abigail informed on international affairs. After the Revolution, Abigail Adams was able to keep her spot in the world of politics by becoming the First Lady.
Another woman who helped to politically influence the Revolution was Mercy Warren. Warren's father was a prominent lawyer and Patriot, giving her a taste for politics and a distaste for British rule from a young age. Mercy married James Warren in 1754, and the two of them would often hosted gatherings of Patriot activists and members of the Sons of Liberty. She supported the Boston Tea Party, the boycotting of British goods, and many of the other early acts of rebellion. Mercy went on to put her political insights and observations into writings and plays. Mercy anonymously produced several plays that helped to spread feelings of anger toward the British and the idea of a revolution. Some of her most influential plays were those that criticized British leaders in the Colonies. Mercy’s plays and strong political ideas put and kept her in contact with many of the founding fathers.
One of the most considerable ways women helped out in the American Revolution was by creating The Daughters of Liberty. The Daughters of Liberty was a sister group to the Sons of Liberty, however they were formed in response to the Townshend Acts and had a looser membership. This group did not participate in many of the violent acts the Sons of Liberty started, instead they organized boycotts, held “spinning bees”, and helped manufacture goods. Women were the primary buyers of goods in the colonies, so when Britain started imposing unfair taxes on the colonies women stopped buying goods. Over 300 women in Boston alone pledged not to buy or drink any tea that was under British taxation. Their protest lead them to start making their own ‘liberty teas’ out of currants, basil, mint, and even birch bark.
One of the only violent acts of the Daughters of Liberty was the “Coffee Party”. In 1777 a group of women confronted and assaulted a merchant who was accused of hoarding coffee in his warehouse. Abigail Adams took notice and wrote to her husband John about what had happened
There has been much rout and noise in the town for several weeks. Some stores had been opened by a number of people and the coffee and sugar carried into the market and dealt out by pounds. It was rumoured that an eminent, wealthy, stingy merchant (who is a bachelor) had a hogshead of coffee in his store which he refused to sell to the committee under 6 shillings per pound. A number of females some say a hundred, some say more assembled with a cart and trucks, marched down to the warehouse and demanded the keys, which he refused to deliver, upon which one of them seized him by his neck and tossed him into the cart. Upon his finding no quarter he delivered the keys, when they tipped up the cart and discharged him, then opened the warehouse, hoisted out the coffee themselves, put it into the trucks and drove off. It was reported that he had a spanking among them, but this I believe was not true. A large concourse of men stood amazed silent spectators of the whole transaction.
The Daughters of Liberty were not prone to violence but they were not afraid to take what action they thought was necessary.
In the wake of the nonimportation agreements going on in the colonies many female Patriots wanted to find ways to not only participate in the boycotting of British goods but to also come up with long term solutions. So when calls for boycotts of British textiles were made, women tried to find a way to bring the production home. One of the ways they did this was by holding “spinning bees.” Spinning bees were day long contests in which women would get together and see who could spin the most wool into yarn. Newspapers at the time started writing about these contests that were being held throughout the colonies, most notably comparing the Daughters of Liberty's activities to those of the Sons of Liberty. “‘While New England’s Sons of Liberty indulged in rum, rhetoric, and roast pig, her Daughters worked from sunup to sundown to prove their commitment to ‘the cause of liberty and industry.’” While both groups were dedicated to the cause they showed their support in vastly different ways.
Many more women helped out on the battlefields than people believe. The American Revolution was being fought in their front yards and after being left behind by their husbands and sons women needed something to do to support themselves. Women took on supportive roles by being cooks, maids, laundresses, seamstresses, or water bearers, but the most popular way for women to help in the war was by being battlefield nurses. The revolution was the first time women were allowed to hold these roles on the battlefield as they were usually held for men. Nurses were originally just the women that were following soldiers and their husbands/sons around the battlefields. In 1777 Washington told his commanding officers to round up the female “camp followers” and have them become nurses that would help the doctors and surgeons. Even though rations and payment were offered many women were still unwilling to become nurses or hold other frontline jobs, because of the high mortality rates for both the soldiers and the women doing the jobs. Female nurses would also do custodial jobs like cooking for, feeding, and bathing patients. The women that followed the soldiers were poor and used to doing house chores so they were believed to be the best fit for the job.
Many women became soldiers despite regulations not officially permitting them to do so. They would cut their hair, bind their chests, take on masculine names, and dress in men's clothes. The reasons why women would join varied but the most common reasons would be because these women were generally young, unmarried, and poor. If they joined they would be able to earn money for their families. The first woman to ever receive a military pension was Margaret Corbin. After her husband was killed Margaret loaded and fired a cannon and she continued firing until she was wounded. Mary Ludwig Hays hauled water so the sponger could swab out the cannon barrel. When her husband collapsed in battle, Mary took his place, firing the cannon with the rest of the crew until the battle ended. It is speculated that the legend of “Molly Pitcher” refers to all of the women that fought in the war, but some believe it is either about Margaret Corbin or Mary Ludwig Hays.
Two women who disguised themselves as men and fought under George Washington were Deborah Sampson and Anna Maria Lane. Deborah Sampson was a Patriot and although she went on to tell women to leave politics and war to men, she still believed it was wrong to be denied the chance to fight based on gender. She talked about her service
Wrought upon at length, you may say, by an enthusiasm and frenzy that could brook no control - I burst the tyrant bands, which held my sex in awe, and clandestinely, or by stealth, grasped an opportunity, which custom and the world seemed to deny, as a natural privilege.
Sampson enlisted in 1782, to avenge the deaths of American colonists by British soldiers. She served under the name Robert Shurtleff, achieved the rank of corporal, and fought in the battle of White Plains. She was injured twice, and once it was found out that she was a woman she was honorably discharged. Even though she had been discharged Sampson was eventually awarded a military pension. Sampson traveled after the war talking about her experiences in the war as a circuit lecturer. Anna Maria Lane followed her husband into the war when he enlisted in Connecticut in 1776. It is unclear if she started disguised as a man or not, but by the Battle of Germantown in October 1777 she was enlisted. It was said that Lane “performed extraordinary military services” and had the “courage of a soldier”. When the war ended both Lane and her husband were allowed to take out military pensions.
Women also served as spies on both sides of the revolution. Women were holding frontline jobs, and because men believed them to be innocent and unsuspecting, they were able to eavesdrop on conversations and spread information through gossip. Even the women still at home were able to be spies because of the same reasons. British soldiers that lived in Patriot women’s houses would sometimes share secrets about war too loudly and women would pass them on.
Anna Smith Strong was a part of the Culper Spy Ring. She was based in Setauket, Long Island and her job was to inform Caleb Brewster that information on British soldiers was ready to be picked up from her neighbor. Strong would indicate this by simply doing her laundry. If information was ready she would hang a black petticoat and white handkerchiefs on her clothesline. The petticoat signaled information, and she would hang one to six handkerchiefs to indicate which of the six coves of Long Island the information was in. Throughout the war, this system of relaying information was never broken and the Culper Ring stayed hidden.
Lydia Barrington Darragh was a Quaker living in Philadelphia during the war. During the British occupation of Philadelphia, many high ranking officers were stationed in Lydia’s home, and British General Sir William Howe was across the street. Howe would regularly hold meetings with his officers in the Darragh house. Lydia would spy on the meetings and have her husband write down her findings in the family’s shorthand. She would then take these messages and hide them in cloth buttons that she would sew into her son John’s coat. John would then take these messages and deliver them to his brother who was serving in the Continental Army. On December 2nd, 1777, the Darragh family was ordered by the British to stay in their bedroom while the soldiers and officers had a meeting. However, Lydia hid in a closet and listened to the entire meeting. Lydia heard the officers talk about a surprise attack on Washington's troops that was to occur on December 4th. She left that night after the meeting and delivered this information to Patriot soldiers. This information reached Washington and he was able to get his troops ready for the impending attack.
While women were not formally allowed to participate in the fighting of the American Revolution, without their efforts and influence the result would have been vastly different. Women were responsible for mass boycotts of British goods and helping to set up manufacturing on American soil. Many women like the members of the Daughters of Liberty and Mercy Warren were responsible for spreading the Patriot message and a distrust and hatred toward the British. Without female spies valuable British ntel would not have been delivered to the Patriot army, and attacks like the one on George Washington's troops would not have been stopped. Even though women knew that the Revolution would not give them rights they still decided to risk their lives and families to fight for independence.
Works Cited
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice, and Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. “The Daughters of Liberty: Who Were They and What Did They Do?” History of Massachusetts Blog, 11 Aug. 2018, historyofmassachusetts.org/who-were-the-daughters-of-liberty/.
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice, and Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. “The Roles of Women in the Revolutionary War.” History of Massachusetts Blog, 29 Apr. 2019, historyofmassachusetts.org/the-roles-of-women-in-the-revolutionary-war/.
“First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams.” Abigail Adams Biography :: National First Ladies' Library, www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=2.
“How the Daughters of Liberty Fought for Independence.” New England Historical Society, 25 Apr. 2019, www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/daughters-liberty-fought-independence/.
Howat, Kenna. “Revolutionary Spies.” National Women's History Museum, 9 Nov. 2017, www.womenshistory.org/articles/revolutionary-spies.
Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, 31 March - 5 April 1776, www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760331aa.
“Lydia Barrington Darragh.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Jan. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Lydia-Barrington-Darragh.
“Mercy Otis Warren.” American Battlefield Trust, 15 Aug. 2018, www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/mercy-otis-warren.
“Museum of the American Revolution.” Age of Homespun | Museum of the American Revolution | Philadelphia History Museum, 10 Feb. 2015, www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/history/age-homespun.
National Security Agency | Central Security Service > Article View, www.nsa.gov/About-Us/Current-Leadership/Article-View/Article/1620960/anna-strong/.
“Women of the Army.” History Is Fun, 13 Nov. 2015, www.historyisfun.org/blog/women-of-the-army/.
“Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army.” Women's Service with the Revolutionary Army : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site, www.history.org/history/teaching/enewsletter/volume7/nov08/women_revarmy.cfm.
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