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What Role Did Women Play In The Civil War

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Everyone knows what the men did during the civil war. They fought for their side on the battlefields. They were almost never home because they were always fighting. They were risking their lives for their side. Everyone loves and praises all that the men did, but what about the women? Did they do anything heroic? In recent wars, the women stayed home to protect their families, but the women in the Civil War changed this.
During the Civil War, the women didn't just cook and clean, they were nurses for the injured and some spied on the other side. Women played many roles in the Civil War. They did not just sit and wait for the men in their lives to come home from the battlefield (The Roles of women in the Civil War). Some even disguised as …show more content…

“Although the exact number is unknown, it is speculated that hundreds of women served as spies for the Confederate and Union armies in the Civil War (The Roles of Women in the Civil War).” This information explains to us that a lot of women were spies during the Civil War. They would spy on the other side and try to find battle plans and other important information that would be necessary to winning specific battles or the war in general. An example of a famous women spy is Rose O’Neal Greenhow. “Rose O’Neal Green (aka Wild Rose) become one of the most renowned spies in the Civil War (Women in the Civil War).” This information tells us that Greenhow was very important spy at the time of the Civil War. “She began spying for the Confederacy in 1861. One of her most important messages allegedly helped Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard gather enough forces to win the First Battle of Bull Run (5 Women Spies of the Civil War).” Another famous spy is Elizabeth Van Lew. “Van Lew was a Richmond-born abolitionist whose sympathy for the Union, and the cause of freedom, compelled her to bring food and other comforts to the Union officers imprisoned a few blocks from her house at Libby Prison (5 Women Spies in the Civil).” This information shows us that Elizabeth Van Lew helped a lot of people on the Union side of the Civil War. “Her loyalties were under suspicion, but her wealth and social status protected her for the most part (5 Women Spies in the Civil) .” Another important spy was Pauline Cushman, a spy for the Union. Pauline Cushman was an American actress and spy during the Civil War. “She was caught and nearly executed, but was freed. She later toured the country recounting her exploits in lectures and one-woman plays (Pauline Cushman) .” This information explains to us that Pauline

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