Women+in+the+Revolution

J.R.C. : In Mary Beth Norton’s article titled, “Women in the Revolution”, the idea that women during the times of the Revolutionary war experienced as much, if not more, hardship and strife as men, was portrayed to be overlooked and almost forgotten. The majority of people today remember the American Revolution as a complete male dominated historical event. I agree not only with Norton on this argument, but also with the poster K. B. M. below. It seemed almost impossible to deny this argument, because Norton provided a unique perspective of the women during these years. The author painted a picture of the horrific and unusual experiences women were forced to overcome. Some examples are, rape, disease, and ultimately the complete care of a household and family. Nevertheless, the women who chose to stay and care for their home, family, and land, rather than go to war, were also asked to go through this without the help of their significant others. Norton, without undermining the talents of women, brought up the major point that in being alone, tending to all of the responsibilities once shared by two is much like serving on the battlefields of war. In saying this, the author goes a bit further to show that the women ultimately gained a new sense of respect in the communities of their times. These women that stayed home to fight the home battles dealt with their responsibilities with much grace and proficiency, which men found hard to believe and almost impossible. Women on top of their newfound responsibilities also had to live with the fear of being enslaved. Now one cannot forget that during these times, slaves were found around America in great numbers. It almost seemed ironic, because during the times of the Revolutionary war, the white women of America feared being enslaved, but not much light was shown upon the fact that they had enslaved a race of their own. Karma seemed prominent in this situation, because the African slaves were being set free and often regarded the redcoats as liberators. Though some may believe that women were not a part of this major time in America’s history, Norton made it very clear that this point in time may have shown the first signs of women proficiency and ability to be recognized as equals to men.

** very good -- you are on the right track **
KBM I agree with the author in that when most people recall the revolutionary war, they tend to think of the political changes driven by the men and overlook the social changes driven by the women. The war brought new experiences and terrors for everyone. For the women that didn't go off into the unappealing military world as nurses and cooks, this meant that, as their husbands and sons left for war, they were left to raise children and support themselves as head of the household. At the same time, the redcoats offered freedom to the African slaves with equal amounts of men and women fleeing the plantations. The fear of rape and smallpox was adrift as women went into new work and domestic care as single moms. They handled more issues with land and other important aspects of property, politics, and finance that were normally left to the men. During this time, women were beginning to be seen as more capable human beings. It was a new experience for them and others in America as the judgment and choices of the women at home became the only ones that mattered within their households. Not only did the women have to make adjustments to their new responsibilities, the nation had to make adjustments. No one in America was used to them having so much power within the community. Women with prior experience in business or other affairs, however, managed much better than the others. Many had to manage farms, money, and kids without the support of their husbands. Norton explains how a large social change occurred as the women took on their new roles and niches in society. It seems, though, that the members of the community didn’t actually view the women as equal, it was just tolerable. In the past, it was seen as unfit for a women to be working or doing other work unrelated to domestic care. This view was disintegrating, according to Norton, as it was mandatory that women take control. After the war, when the men returned, Norton fails to mention how the view reverted back. The traditional view was lowering while the war was occurring because it was mandatory. The men’s view was not that women were supposed to do manual labor, it‘s that is was necessary for the time being. The soldiers were proud of how capable their wives were in the untraditional role during wartime but by no means would this be permanent. Women were always viewed as inferior and still were, legally, despite their new-found capabilities. There is no doubt that after the Revolutionary war, women were viewed as more capable than originally expected, but men still considered themselves much superior. I do agree with Norton, in that this revolutionary thought is, perhaps, what gave incentive to feminist groups and, eventually, brought on the women's rights movement. So while there was a lot going on politically in the world, some very strong social occurrences were happening right under our noses.

** good but heavy on the summary -- "I agree" does not by itself constitute analysis -- why do you agree (use examples NOT in the article-pull from other sources) **

 * week 2xx**

MDS Accidentally posted this at the top of the page on Sunday - am just moving it down to Week 2. In her article “Women in the Revolution”, Mary Beth Norton successfully sheds light on the side of the Revolution that is largely ignored by many historians – the effects of the Revolution on women and families. She accurately explains that while the Revolution has long been remembered for its battles, for the valiant soldiers fighting for American liberty, the effects of such battles and warfare on women and the children they cared for are often overlooked. The most commonly remembered women of the Revolution are those who served in the ranks as nurses or laundresses. However, as Norton demonstrates, they were the minority – the women whose lives dramatically changed were those left at home, black and white alike, forced into positions of making decisions for their families without their husbands’ judgment or aid. Women and their families were terrified, surrounded by British soldiers and forced to make the decision to move or stay. These women were solely responsible for protecting their families and managing the family affairs and business, duties previously ascribed only to men. Norton brings attention to the horrific realities of the war through providing first person accounts from women of all classes and ranks. Their arguments were more convincing than any historian’s could be – as the women themselves described, they were forced to take on roles previously recognized only as men’s. However, it must be remembered that this movement, the somewhat loss of distinctness between male and female roles, was nowhere near the feminist movements of the 1900’s. I agree with Norton when she asserts that the situation was in fact seeping with irony. The process of women assuming the responsibilities of their husbands had by no means been previously considered – this new conception of gender roles sprung only from necessity. And while the women of the Revolution began to recognize their capabilities, defying subservience and realizing their right to be treated as equals, the Revolution essentially more closely confined the feminine influence to domestic purposes. While the work of women was finally recognized as valuable and on equal standard with that of men, with some exceptions (which would later become the majority and lead to women’s rights movements), the post-revolutionary period essentially glorified the feminine qualities of housework and motherhood and lessened the chances of women escaping the duties they had always assumed.

AMB-- The impact of the American Revolution on the lives of women is ambiguous, because while it could be looked at as a liberating movement, many women also suffered greatly. The Revolution did allow women to gain freedom by taking care of their family and land while their husbands were away. However, some women’s suffering outweighed their newfound freedom. Women were able to prove their worth to society to a degree by showing their ability to manage their own farms, but this was accompanied by the loss or absence of their husbands. When soldiers entered the towns, they brought disease, and often abused the women. This made the Revolution a terrifying time for women and girls, and casts a shadow over the liberating aspects. Some may disagree, saying that the Revolution was good for women. For example, the British army offered freedom to runaway slaves. Many slave women took this opportunity to start new lives for themselves and their children. Almost half of the escaped slaves were woman, most of whom were accompanied by their children. If the Revolutionary War had not occurred, they would not have been able to escape to freedom, making the war a positive step for women’s rights. Because of these differing effects, the impact of the Revolution on women can be debated on both sides as being either positive or negative. Because of the evidence, there are many different sides of the story, all of which factor into the big picture of how the American Revolution affected women.

if this were longer with strong examples it would be SO much better -- as is it is strongly leaning summary
MRL - Week 2 - The role of American women during the Revolutionary War is strikingly similar to their role during World War II, but at the same time they both differ in particular ways. The effects of the Revolutionary War and WWII on women share similarities because both wars brought upon new responsibilities for the women of America. Women from both eras were required to do things that were otherwise reserved for men. In the 18th century, women were forced to tend farms and family businesses, thus educating them about the working way of life, rather than their normal domestic life. This mirrors the women of the 20th century, who also were required to take on jobs that usually men held, like working in factories or managing businesses. In both cases, women gained independence as they learned to support themselves rather than rely solely on their husband's livelihood. This is significant because, in both time periods, the necessity to perform actions that were normally reserved for men caused women to realize they have a much greater capacity than a simple domestic homemaking life. Although many have accepted that it was only after World War II that the effort for women's rights began to make an impact on society, the effect that the Revolutionary War had on women's roles in American society cannot be ignored.

Along with several similarites of women's roles during the Revolutionary War and the World War II era came several differences as well. The main difference is brought upon by the fact that the Revolutionary War took place on American soil, while World War II occurred in foreign countries. During the Revolutionary War, American women were not only burdened with the tasks of men, but they also physically suffered from the war. This is different from WWII, where women in America were not physically damaged by the aspects of warfare. For instance, the American women of the 18th century were forced to deal with dangers of rape and capture by enemies during the war, but such dangers did not exist for American women of the 20th century. This is significant because the danger of being physically affected by the war added a new dimension to life for women during the Revolutionary War that did not exist during World War II. While American women only had to worry about the economic well being of their family when their husbands left during WWII, during the Revolutionary War women were forced to also be concerned with their safety.

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you are on the right track -- compare/contrast is closer but bottom line is still not analyzation ﻿ =====

AJN- (week 3) In the article “Women in the Revolution,” by Mary Beth Norton, it is evident that during the times of the Revolution women experienced the same amount if not more hard times than the men did. Most people today remember the American Revolution as a primarily male dominated war.  I agree with the above bloggers. Just because back then women could not vote yet they still existed and those times were difficult for everyone. Norton’s point of view provided a whole new perspective of the women during this time. Many of these poor women were helpless to protect themselves from being raped, or catching harmful and potentially fatal disease the British were bringing over with them. Not only did they have to deal with that but they also had the responsibility of taking care of a household and family. The women who chose to stay and care for their home, as apposed to go to war, were also asked to go through this without the help of their spouse and protector.  Also, Norton brought up the point that in being alone, they now had the responsibilities of two, which in these times the responsibilities of one can be tremendous. She delves in further to say that the women ultimately realized how important their spouses were to a successful household. These women that stayed home dealt with their responsibilities with grace and proficiency, unseen up to that point. Many men believed they were setting up for failure and it was hard for them to believe how well they were able to hold their own. Norton was very clear that at this point we can see the early stages of women proficiency and ability to be recognized as equal. <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">