Female Confederate Spies
Ever since the establishment of the new world, women have held less power and privileges than men. As history progressed, the female role began to change. During the American Revolution, women supported the war by providing blankets and care for the hurt soldiers. In the Civil War, women took on new roles in the fight that were not as innocent as the jobs in the preceding events.
The government of the United States indirectly suppressed women almost as much as African Americans and other minorities. Throughout the 1700’s and early 1800’s, a woman’s place was in the household and not in the work force. Women remained innocent in the mind of the public, but eventually they used this consensus to their advantage. During the Civil War, as a result of the split in the nation, women were overlooked when it came to their opinion. Women used this alienation to seek information that they wished to give to the side in which they supported. Many of these famous women were spies for the
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She was born in Port Tobbaco, Maryland but moved to Washington DC during her adolescence years. She was engulfed into the capital’s highest section of society and welcomed with open arms. Like many other Confederate women spies, Greenhow used this elevated status to her advantage. Greenhow disappointed many suitors when she married Doctor Robert Greenhow. This influential man helped Rose climb the social ladder as well. After having four children, Dr. Greenhow passed away before the war began. Although her beloved husband was not present, Rose O’Neal remained friends with the circle of people surrounding her husband. Some of these people included “presidents, senators, [and] high-ranking military officers . . . many of whom played knowing or unknowing roles in the espionage ring she organized in 1861.” Greenhow’s connections created her beneficial sneaky character to help her country