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Women's Roles In The Civil War

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Women's Roles in the American Civil War
Catharine Goode
West Catholic High School

While the men were away from home, fighting for the Union or the Confederacy, all women were left behind at their homes. At this time women were still a minority, but gained a sense of independence while the men were gone. What did these women do to help the soldiers and maintain their homes? In the Civil War, women took on the jobs of the men while adding extra support at home and on the battlefield.
Women at the Home
Women in both the Union and the Confederacy strived to help with the war efforts at home during the American Civil War. In the north, women worked together to form aid societies to provide various necessities for the army. They …show more content…

This war challenged the original, submissive roles for women, and rather, encouraged women for have courage and fight for what they believe. For some women, working behind the scenes or as a nurse was not enough, so they illegally joined the ranks by dressing up as a male. By the end of the war, “approximately 250 female Civil War soldiers have been documented by historians, and there were undoubtedly more” (“Women and the Civil War,” (n.d.)). Women would normally go to be near their relatives or husbands, but would sometimes go purely to be able to fight in the front lines due to their thirst for adventure. In order to join the army, like stated before, women had to dress up as males because it was illegal for women to be a part of the army. As shown in the image, women, such as Loreta Velazquez, a Confederate, had facial hair, cut their hair short like a man’s, and tried to appear very masculine. They would pair the masculine face with heavy clothes that his their feminine figures in order to appear more masculine. These disguises allowed women to take part in war like they never have before. The risk of being caught as a disguised woman was lower than one may think. The armies were mostly made up of civilians who had no prior knowledge of how to fight. Because of this, women and men alike could be trained for …show more content…

(1864) [Untitled Diary by Alice Williamson]. Retrieved on November 21, 2017 from https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/williamson/p18-19/williamson-p18-19.html

Wright, C. B. (2015, October 27). Women During the Civil War. Retrieved November 22, 2017, from https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Women_During_the_Civil_War

Women and the Civil War. (n.d.) Retrieved November 24, 2017, from http://library.mtsu.edu/tps/Women_and_the_Civil_War.pdf

Dustin, Gilman & Co. (n.d.). Harry T. Buford 1st Lt Indpt Scouts C.S.A. [Digital image]. Retrieved November 29, 2017, from docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/velaquez/ill1.html

Female Soldiers in the Civil War. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2017, from https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/female-soldiers-civil-war

Gardner, J. (n.d.). Fredericksburg, Va. Nurses and officers of the U.S. Sanitary Commission [Digital image]. Retrieved November 26, 2017, from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/cwp2003000469/PP/

Barton, C. (1862). Clara Barton and the International Red Cross Association. Retrieved November 26, 2017 from

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