Women and the Revolutionary War

I. Women and the Emerging CrisisII. NA and AA Women take sidesIII. White WomenIV. ServiceV. NA and AA post-warVI. White WomenVII.Women and ReligionVIII.Notable Women

I. Women and the Emerging Crisis

A. Involved as consumers and producers with taxes imposed by the British

B. Spinning bees for manufacturing the yarn for homemade cloth

C. AA women participated in spinningD. Women=Liberty DaughtersE. NO British tea

II. NA and AA Women Take Sides

A. NA– 13,000 fought for the British– Split Iroquois confederacy– Many tribes women decided when to war– Remember these same Colonist had taken much

of their land

B. AA– British promised many of them freedom if they

joined loyalist

– British formed “Company of Black Pioneers” that consisted of 72 men, 15 women, and 8 kids

III. White Women

A. Quaker women were pacifistB. Assumed that whatever their husband was

on was the side they supportedC. Some became spies

IV. Service

A. A. Few fought in combatB. Some cross-dressedC. Some traveled with their husbandsD. NursesE. Prostitutes

“Not a woman belonging to the army is to been seen with troops on their march”-GW

“that most male of institutions, the military”-historian

V. Post War NA and AA

A. NA are hard to gauge– Changing gender roles– Women lost a lot of influence

B. AA Women– Many received freedom– 42.3% that left NY were women with their kids– Quakers anti-slave– Many northern states AA gained freedom at 28

– Networks of black institutions such as churches– Slaves that were pregnant worked deep into their

pregnancies

VI. White Women

A. Mixed resultsB. Shopkeepers, teachers, innkeepers, servants,

seamstressesC. “Remember the ladies”D. No votesE. Improved education

VII. Women and Religion

A. The Great Awakening– Crucial for women– New egalitarian with an appeal that cut across

gender, class, race, and slave status– More women than me in churches– Be set for eternity with risks in child bearings

B. Jemina Wilkinson– Said she was the female incarnation of Christ

C. Mother Ann Lee– Preacher and prophet– Dressed like a male– No sex

D. Deacons and EldersE. Traveling preachers

F. AA Women– Some brought Islam over from Africa– Few churches condemned slavery– Don’t follow master’s religion

VIII. Famous Women

A. Martha Washington– Born on June 2, 1731 in Virginia– Many opportunities growing up– Married Daniel Parke Custis (very wealthy) at 18– 4 kids, 2 died in infancy– Custis died at 46 leaving no will– Fell in love with GW (8 months younger than her)

– Lived at Mt. Vernon– She joined him at Valley Forge in 1778– Beginning in 1789, she became the first first lady– Lasted until 1797– GW died on Dec 14, 1799, causing Martha to shut

herself off from the rest of the world– Freed all her slaves in 1800– May 22, 1802, shed died

B. Sally Hemming– Mixed-race slave of Thomas Jefferson– Said to be the half sister of Jefferson’s wife,

Martha Skelton– Jefferson supposedly fathered children of Sally– Mixed belief throughout history– 1998 DNA tests– Duties included being a nursemaid-companion

– No known images or writings from her– Children were light-skinned– Descendants of Sally, have told stories how they

descended from Jefferson– Historians believe that we should take the

evidence that’s there and come up with our own conclusion