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Marisa Uribe #33 Mrs. Marquez Research Paper April 14, 2014

Women in the Civil War

I do not think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience. Charlotte Brontes quote exemplifies how women felt that they did not receive enough rights and they wanted to be treated equally. During the Civil War era, women only cleaned and cooked for their husbands who worked in the fields all day. Women wanted much more than this because they believed that they deserved to be treated just as well as men. The Civil war allowed women the opportunity to become soldiers, nurses, and spies and thus they impacted the outcome of the war. Although female soldiers were limited, they played a large role in the Civil War. It was extremely difficult for females to become soldiers because they had to hide their identity and do their best to blend in with the men. Because they were disguised as men, it is impossible to know with any certainty how many women soldiers served in the Civil War (Blanton, 1). Female soldiers had to assume masculine names in order to hide their identities. (Blanton) This was extremely difficult for women because had to live in the same compounds with men and still be able to hide the fact that they are female. Similar to men, women suffered in prisons, were captured, and died for respective causes. They were treated just the same as all men were in the war. One example of a female soldier was Frances Clayton. She served for several months in

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Missouri artillery and cavalry units. (Blanton) She may have done her best to keep her gender a secret, but she was not the only one who knew about it. The entire Union army and many ordinary citizens knew about her as well. They have not said anything to the female soldiers, but the Union had no regards, whatsoever, of any women that fought in the Civil War. "The army itself however had no regard for women soldiers, Union or Confederate. Indeed, despite record of any evidence to the contrary, the U.S. Army tried to deny that women played a military role, however small, in the Civil War. On October twenty-first, 1909, Ida Tarbell of The American Magazine wrote a record of the number of women who enlisted and served in the Civil War"(Blanton). This quote shows how despite the evidence, they still denied that women fought in the war. Some people believed that they hid the fact that women were soldiers because they did not want women to begin to protest and stand up for their rights. Even though the army had no remarks for female soldiers, we know that women fought in the Civil War. This is significant because female soldiers died and gave up their lives to help our country even though they were not treated equally. This means a lot because it unofficially marked the beginning of a time period where women would no longer stand to be treated unfairly. With so many soldiers becoming injured in the war, they needed someone to tend to their wounds. Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross, decided she wanted to do her part in the war and help the soldiers. "When the Civil War broke out, men from all over the country joined the ranks, leaving behind jobs and duties that women quickly filled" (Brown, 5). This quote shows how women jumped at the opportunity to do something different and try to do something they were not usually allowed to do because of their roles in society. It all began at the Battle of Bull Run, where she was determined to assist the wounded soldiers. With this goal in mind, she gathered several women who wanted to join her and save lives. They decided to go to the court

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and have a trial in order to decide if she was allowed to do this or not. They kept deliberating and debating for several years. The jury did not want her to begin the Red Cross because they believed that men were superior and that this would allow women to think that they were just as good as men. Not wanting women to get the wrong idea, the court kept putting this trial off and not allowing it to be passed. The government was only hurting themselves because they desperately needed people to help take care of all the wounded soldiers. Clara finally decided to take her case to the Supreme Court (Brown, 4). After a well thought out argument, Cara Barton was permitted to organize Red Cross. This organization helped soldiers in need of medical assistance. To many peoples surprise she tended to soldiers on both sides of the war. She fought for what she believed in and didnt give up no matter what (Brown, 3). Clara Barton played a huge role in the Civil War because she began an organization that was to last for centuries and she proved that women can be useful in the war as well. She exemplified that women can start having ideas about standing up for themselves and fighting for their beliefs and customs. Lastly, the Civil War also gave women the opportunity to become spies. Harriet Tubman organized a network of spies. The network was made entirely of former slaves who were willing to stand up and fight for the freedom that they believed they deserved. (Fitzgerald) The slaves wanted to protest against slavery and be liberated because they thought it was completely wrong. They believed African Americans should be treated just the same as white men. They were furious, so they planned a night raid into the city. (Fitzgerald) Their goal was to free slaves and show people that they will not put up with slavery. That night they freed more than seven hundred fifty slaves and expanded their spy network. They also destroyed the Federates supply Depot leaving them helpless. (Fitzgerald) "Tubman made history later in 1863 as she became the first woman in the war to lead armed soldiers into battle; this was a battle that would see some

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700 slaves freed from the clutches of Confederate slave owners" (Fitzgerald). This quote explains how Harriet Tubman was not going to just sit back and watch people tell her what to do. She was strong willed and independent and was not afraid to stand up for the rights of her people. This was beneficial to the Civil War era because it showed people that slaves were not going to stand slavery anymore. This gave slaves the piece of mind they needed in order to stand up for themselves. After the Civil War Tubman carried on tending to people and helping where she could, this continued as she then became heavily involved in the womens suffrage movement. Harriet Tubman was not only a spy, but she was also a nurse. She served as s nurse for several years and helped tend to the wounded soldiers fighting in the war. Although Harriet was colored, she did not let this stop her from achieving her goals. Without hesitation, she saw an opportunity and jumped at it because she came to realization that they were not treated fairly and wanted to change that. Women in the Civil War, as you can see, have made a huge impact on us women today; for example, we are now able to be soldiers, nurses, and spies without having to fight for our rights just as they did. All these women fought so that they could be treated just as men were, they even did it knowing they could be killed for voicing their opinions. They stood up for what they believed in, and when the Civil War came, they saw an opportunity and jumped at it. Without these women fighting for their rights us women would not be able to have the freedom we are able to have today, and for that we owe them gratitude.

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