Several people equate being politically active to voting, however, even though women were denied the right to vote, historians and scholars recognize that women still played an active political role throughout the “Revolutionary Period”. The passing of the Townshend Act played part in growing women’s political self-awareness. One way that women were politically active was by boycotting British goods. They homespun their cloth rather than using imported cloth. They also substituted herbal teas and coffee after the British placed new regulations on imported non- British tea. Many assumed that a woman’s allegiance followed her husband, however some women where independent and chose the patriot side even though their husbands supported the British. These were relatively mild but effective ways for women to support the patriot war effort. Several women, such as Esther DeBerdt Reed and Sarah Franklin Bache, stood out by their actions during this time. Reed and Bache organized the Ladies Association in Philadelphia which …show more content…
Men depended on women’s efforts like during the boycotting of British goods. Women contributed a lot both domestically and politically even though they did not always receive accurate recognition.
This time period encouraged women to be more independent and to do things outside of just home and family responsibilities. Republican Motherhood was this idea that it was the women’s role and responsibility to educate their children. Abigail Adams was a big advocate for the improvement of women’s education so that it would meet the goals of Republican Motherhood. Judith Sargent Murray was also an advocate of Republican Motherhood. Murray helped cultivate this idea by publishing several writings in which she expressed her forward thinking ideas towards women’s