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The Roles Of Deborah Sampson And Elizabeth Van Lew's Expectations Of Women

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Women are viewed as fragile and delicate, but strong enough to keep a house clean, kids in line and a happy husband. Women are expected to be stay at home moms and depend on their husbands for everything while having no opinions of their own. However, there are women who have overlooked those expectations and proved that women are capable of doing anything. Deborah Sampson and Elizabeth Van Lew are just two women who have helped break the norms of women’s roles in society. Sampson’s impressive braveness and loyalty to fight for her country against all odds have proved that women are capable to endure harsh horrors. On the other hand, Lew’s cleverness and defiance have encouraged her to remain unnoticed in the face of danger when it came to …show more content…

With her bravery, her soldier brothers called her “Molly” because Robert was beardless (Roberts 82). Sampson was able to continue to participate in the war until 1783 when she contracted a serious fever and a doctor discovered her secret. The doctor had noticed Sampson’s chest was bandaged and while unwrapping the bandages he revealed Sampson’s breasts and true gender, but kept the secret to himself (Roberts 82). After Sampson regained her strength, she was honorably discharged because of her admirable service record. Her fighting days were now over and she married Benjamin Gannet, whom she has three kids with. Stories about her war experiences were being published in the newspaper, which got her fame for her astonishing duties for her country. The fame allowed Sampson to travel as a public speaker who taught about the horrors of war. Sampson’s loyal service to her country granted her pensions by the state of Massachusetts and the federal government (Ashby 74). In 1827, Sampson died at the age of 67 and her husband and children were able to receive compensation by Congress (Ashby 75). Sampson is just one of many women who have exceed the expected roles of …show more content…

A major accomplishment of Sampson was to help change America’s view on women’s roles and she accomplished this when she enlisted in the Revolutionary War even though it was forbidden for women to enroll in the army. Along with Sampson’s heroicness was Elizabeth Van Lew’s espionage operation, which also contributed to help change America’s view on women’s roles. Lew controlled and ran a secret network of spies that helped General Grant and the Union win the war. Women are stereotyped as weak and fragile and as someone who is expected to accomplish no more than a man would, but yet Sampson and Lew have overruled that idea. Sampson and Lew have fought endlessly for their country in heroic matters like men have, which proves that women can be just as powerful and be more than what is expected by

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