Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Frances Turnbell
Second Advisor
Carolyn Crawford
Third Advisor
Sarah Franklin
Abstract
Before the American Revolution, colonial women lived in a hierarchical society. When the fighting began, the constructs of that hierarchy were challenged and, in some cases, broken down, with only few remaining while the fight for freedom was in full effect. The battle for independence was not fought only on the battlefield. Women were left at home to survive in a harsh wartime world and desperately doing what they could to make sure there was a home to come back to. Even with such tremendous responsibility on their shoulders, and in addition to their struggles to secure the home front, many women heard the call of independence and aided the Patriots in other ways to bring that new nation into reality.
Women participated in the American Revolution in ways often subtle and otherwise forgotten by history; returning their stories to our study of the American Revolution both restores them to their rightful place in our memory of the conflict and gives a fuller account of what needed to be sacrificed to win the war itself. It was a war for all involved, with women being the backbone to the projects of war, allowing men to go off and fight and tending the home front, and also through their immediate service to the Continental army. Additionally, they participated in such wartime activities as espionage and intelligence gathering.
Recommended Citation
Howard, Davon, "Remember the Ladies: A Consideration of the Subtle Contributions of Women to the Patriot Cause" (2025). Theses. 27.
https://roar.una.edu/theses/27
