Influence of Women on American History Through the Civil War

The capture of Wo custody on the institution of America and Through 1877 Kelley Swatsenbarg Way pop Baptist University San Antonio Center Mr. doubting Thomas Gaj May 4, 2010 The Influence of Women on the Founding of America and Through 1877 Through erupt the many an(prenominal) geezerhood of hi grade, women hurl always had some kind of mould over man. Whether it be coercing him, tricking him, or demanding of him, they changed the actions of men. Sometimes it has been completely unknowing sometimes intentional.Sometimes it has been covertly sometimes overtly. Sometimes it has been the m early(a)s of great men making decisions about their nurture sometimes it has been the choices made by effeminate leaders or leaders wives. The united States in no different women ware been influencing, directly or indirectly, the decision and actions of the men in America starting from the choice to parentage Christopher Columbuss mis pass ond exploration. Famous foreign rulers have influ ence America, from the beginning of the history of the United States.The outgrowth, of short letter, is the noted Isabella, Queen of Spain, who convinced squash Ferdinand to finance Christopher Columbuss exploration to find a send off to Asia by traveling west. accordingly Elizabeth, Queen of England, decided to try to colonize the Americas to get tax r horizontalue thus causing great rime of Englishmen to colonize the United States. Some women did what they could within the confines of their tradition each(prenominal)(a)y completed role of nurturer and were involved in the medical field. Two modellings are Susie magnate Taylor and bloody shame Edwards Walker.Susie King Taylor traveled with her husband who was in E attach to 33rd United States Colored Troops during the gracious state of war. She was a former slave who became their nurse, laundress, cook, teacher, and even comforted the sick passs even on their deathbed. bloody shame Edwards Walker was overly a com generate north nurse during civilised war who finally won a commission in the army as a surgeon, and was the only adult maidenly personhood to receive a Congressional decoration of Honor. Dorthea Dix armed serviceed organize the Union Army Corp of Nurses and was appointed superintendent of the Union nurses. in that respect was the teacher, Clara Barton, now a famous improver, who, after the outbreak of the civic War, remained in contact with many former students in the New England tender Regiment that went south. Their mothers gave her gifts for their sons as they thought that she, as a nurse, would be commensurate to get packages to them. She realized that these were non gifts, alone rather necessities homogeneous soap from this she created the American Red Cross. She was also a Union nurse who courageously stayed to help surgeons under fire when all the potent assistants fled. Some women personally aided spends and the underprivileged. bingle such woman was Marg aret Corbin who traveled with her husband to mystify care of him during the war, doing womans work, but was in a conflict with her husband. When he died in battle, she took over the cannon she was wounded and later legitimate the first retired disability pension for a woman. Some women created inspiration in various forms of literature to give hope to the men of this nation. One was Ethel Lynn Beers who wrote poetry and make a poem shed titled The Picket Guard. The poem was suitable to music and sung by soldiers on two sides in the genteel War.Another woman of inspiration is Lydia Maria Child who wrote An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans_ _that was a key to persuading many Americans of the need for abolition of slavery. Some women were acclaimed worldwide, like Catherine Maria Sedgwick, who wrote numerous historical sketches and biographies. Her writing is considered to be completely American in both thought and feeling it captured the all of the ch aracterx and manners of New England. Another American author was Mercy genus Otis Warren, the wife of politician, James Warren the couple had a close friendship with Abigail and John Adams.John encouraged her to write the history of the American Revolution. Ironically, he ostracized her and her husband because of candid accounts of atrocities against women and children during the war. By far the most famous writer to influence politics was Harriet Beecher Stowe who became a celebrity when she published Toms Cabin in 1851 depicting the atrocious lives of black slaves in the South. In 1852 she was introduced to President Abraham capital of Nebraska who greeted her So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War Other women created patriotic symbols which would inspire generations of Americans.Betsy Ross, operated an upholstery shop, became legendary for making the first stars-and-s aeratees at the request of George Washington which was adopted as the nat ional flag by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. Another example of a woman who inspired is Julia Ward Howe, a famous writer who wrote the celebrated troth Hymn of the Republic. Many women inspired men through their patriotic activities. One great patriot that inspired Georgia was their most famous female patriot of the Revolutionary War, Nancy Hart, whose steadfast endeavors get rid of British and their sympathizers. stock-still the most famous heroic female patriot, in spite of her flaws, is dolly Madison, the wife of James Madison and acting first lady for Thomas Jefferson. She could have influence them in their politics, but she inspired the masses with her patriot deeds. During her husbands tenure as president, the British attacked Washington, D. C. She had the foresight to and not only the silver but also secret documents and a portrait of George Washington which would have likely been destroyed. Another patriot was molly Pitcher, originally anticipated Mary Ludwi g Hays.During the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, she was with her husband on the crusade lines. Seeing that the soldiers were thirsty, she made her way through ferocious fighting to state pitchers of water to the artillery blastners, and she even took over her husbands stemma as rammer when her husband was wounded and could no longer man the gun mission. Sometimes women invented machines or assisting others in their endeavors to invent. For example, Martha Coston developed an elaborate transcription of flares called wickedness Signals that allowed ships to transmit nocturnal messages which was later purchased by the U.S. Navy. Also, Mary Walton patented a method of deflecting smoke stack emissions through water tanks later change the system for use on locomotives and invented a noise reduction system for elevated railroads. On the other hand Catharine (Kitty) Littlefield Greene helped Eli Whitney set up his shop and was among the few people to see his first prototype of the cotto n gin. At the time it was able to remove the seed, but the cotton fibers kept acquire stuck in the mechanisms. Kitty simply suggested sweeping the fibers off and the rest, shall we say, is history.Some women have interpreted flavours out of the boundaries of the traditional role by organism the first woman to surpass a man in a particular field. Among these was Lady Deborah Moody who, because of lack of religious freedom, led a group of companions to the Dutch colony of New Netherland where she founded the settlement of Gravesend in Brooklyn. Also because of views about standard religions, Mary Baker Eddy founded Christian Science as well as the six time Pulitzer value winning newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor. Still other women inspired men to think of women as more equal by making the alike achievements as men. First there wasMary Katherine Goddard, the first woman publisher who was asked by the signers of the Declaration of Independence to print the first official c opies of the document. There was also Margaret Fuller, the first female foreign correspondent. In medicine, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to graduate from medical school, and Sarah Hackett Stevenson was the first female member of the American medical exam Association. Sometimes women influence men by political activism like Harriett Delille who campaigned for childrens labor rights or Ester Deberdt Reed who formed a womens geological formation that collected $300,000 for Washingtons army.Still others campaigned for workers rights like Sarah Bagley who fought for a ten-hour workday. Of course now the laws state that a workday must be no longer than eight hours a day or forty hours per week, but we would not have progressed to where we are without her protesting. Others spoke out for womens rights like Susan B. Anthony, Isabella Stowe Beecher, Lucretia Coffin Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, just to name a few. Yet others spoke out against slavery like Abby Folsom, Fra nces Ellen Watkins Harper, Maria Stewart, and Truth Sojourner.Victoria Woodhull took activism a step further when she became a politician and was the first women to campaign for president of the United States in 1872. Sometimes their influence has simply been by virtue of the event that they were get hitched with to famous men and they have influenced their husbands actions. Martha Washington, as we all know, was the wife of President George Washington. She was the first first-lady forming the model for all first ladies to come with her abilities to rest period managing a plantation, arranging state dinners and function, visiting troops, and maintaining her relationship with George by backing and advising him.Abigail Smith Adams was the wife of Samuel Adam and mother of John Quincy Adams who would later gravel president. She was his confidant, counselor, and advisor sharing her political views with him and even precedent him about proximo problems including womens rights. The ir son, John Quincy Adams married Louisa Adams. Louisa, the only first lady not born in America, is reputed to have made many social calls to help him get elected. Deborah Read Franklin was the common law wife of Benjamin Franklin. She also took over his responsibilities as owner of a printing business and as postmaster magical spell he was away on diplomatic personal matters.On the other hand, Elizabeth Schuler Hamilton spent her entire life dedicated to memorializing her husbands heritage. She even ensured a brass plaque was placed on their sons grave in Sacramento, California dedicated to Alexanders patriotism. Sarah Livingston Jay would pass valuable information, and gossip, to her husband, John Jay which helped him while he was secretary of foreign affairs this position was also the head of Congress and thereby the de- particularo head of state. Mary White Morris and her husband Robert Morris were close friends of John and Sally Jay, often having many a long political discus sion.While Rebecca Ann Felton, the husband of William Felton, helped him write his speeches while he served as a congressman between 1875 thru 1881. Still other women were simply involved with activities which have influenced domestic politics like, Irene Sanford Emerson who was sued by a former slave, Dred Scott. Mr. Scott traveled with Mr. Emerson while he was in the army stationed in the North he claimed he had been emancipated as a solvent of having lived with his master in the free state of Illinois. The court ruled in favor of Mrs. Emerson Mr.Scott appealed to the Supreme Court where the decision was upheld, but it set the priority that blacks had a legal right to file suit in a civil court, as previously blacks were considered property and therefore, like a chair, could not litigate. There were also many primeval American women who assisted and acted as diplomats for the settlers and colonists. One was Mary Musgrove, an American Indian interpreter, diplomat, and businesswom an. She was raised by Colonists and, because she knew both languages well, she interpreted for James Oglethorpe when he founded the colony of Georgia.She also inherited land from her Native American mother, as their tradition was to pass property humble the matriarchal line. The English refused to accept the legality of her property ownership and she took them to court. They negotiated and came to a compromise some of the land was sold by the British with her receiving the proceeds. Then there was Pocahontas, Native American princess who helped the Jamestown settlers by bringing them food and warning them of her fathers attacks.She was held prisoner by the settlers in an effort to force her father into a peace agreement, but he refused she eventually born-again her to Christianity and married John Rolfe. Because of her position as wife of John Rolfe and young woman of an Indian chief, she was able to maintain peace between the two communities. Sacajawea was other Native American who influenced American politics. She was married to a French man, Toussaint Charbonneau, the guide hired by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition. Sacajawea went with her husband and interpreted with the Native American Indians.She would translate to Charbonneau in French and he would translate to Lewis and Clark into English. During her trip she gave birth to a son, and, all the while fetching care of him, head the explorers trough Indian lands, protected them from Indian attacks, kept valuable items from cosmos losther husband was a klutz, and even found them food to auxiliary their all-meat diet. Other women covertly did the jobs of men such as Deborah Champion, a young girl who bought parcels, messages and pay to commonplace George Washington when soldiers could not.Some other couriers were Behethland Moore and Sybil Ogden Ludington, dubbed the female Paul Revere (she rode about twice as far as he did on his famous ride). Still other women, like Harriet Tubmana cond uctor on the Underground Railroad, acted secrectly. The history of the world abounds with famous female spies like Pauline Cushman, a Union spy, became a camp follower of the assistant army. She was discover, tried in a military court, and sentenced to hang they slow her sentence due to her health and she was rescued by Union forces. Upon her authorize North, President Lincoln made her an honorary major.Elizabeth Van Lew was a famous and effective Union spy. She entered the Confederate Libby Prison on the pretense of humanitarian reasons, and, since the guards thought she was harmless and crazy, she gained information about the strength and disposition of the troops. As her work continued, she devised a way to send coded messages inside eggs. Belle Boyd used her feminine wiles to gain secrets and trap Union soldiers. Others posed as soldiers and fought in war. During the Civil War, Ann Clarke dressed to the nines(p) as a man in the Confederate army. She was wounded, taken prisone r, and later released.Prudence Wright gathered a womens troop and dressed in husbands uniforms to defend their city from the British. They captured a British spy and morose him over to the Colonial Army. Deborah Sampson Gannet dressed as man in revise to fight in Revolution her husband received land and was grant the pension of a soldier. During her career she was wounded several times and caught a fever which nearly took her life. If it were not for the fever she would have remained a soldier longer, but a doctor finally discovered her secret, but he did not publicly release the fact, instead he sent her to everyday GeorgeWashington who immediately discharged her. Then there was the famous story of Sarah Emma Edmonds who enlisted in the Union army as Frank Thompson, a male nurse. She effectively guarded her secret for many long time even taking on disguises of men and women, blacks and whites to spy. She left the army for medical treatment in an area where she was unknown, when she did this, Frank Thompson was viewed as a deserter. Afterwards, she fought to be recognized for her achievements, and, with a special act of Congress, she was honorably discharged and given a pension. The alliance had plenty of female spies too.Included in this number is Antonia Ford who passed along to Confederate J. E. B. Stuart information on Union troop activity. Rose ONeal Greenhow was such a successful spy that she was imprisoned twice, and then exiled to the Confederate states. She was to tour Britain and France as a propagandist for the Confederate cause her memoirs were published with a wide sale throughout the British Isles. She obtained more and more sympathy for the South. There was also the case of Loreta Janeta Velazquez who enlisted in disguise and served at Manassas/Bull Run, Balls Bluff, Fort Donelson, and Shiloh under the name surrogate devastate T.Buford. She also claims to have served as a spy and worked working as a double agent for the Confederacy in the service of the U. S. clandestine Service. To this day no one can determine if in fact any of these accounts are true,, although a newspaper report mentions a Lieutenant Bensford arrested when it was disclosed he was actually a woman giving her name as Alice Williams. Even in Colonial times America was rise of willing female spies and messengers such as Dicey Langston was a jejune colonial spy who forded a river, up to her shoulders, to get details of British troop movement to the colonial army.And then there was Emily Geiger a messenger for General Greene in the Colonial army. Coming from the direction of Greenes army, she was suspected and curb to a room. The officer sent for a woman to search her for papers. She want to destroy the letter once the door was shut, she ate up the letter, human race by piece. Lydia Darragh was a mortician and would watch British troops from the windowpane of her house. She sent messages about their activities through one of her sons and then to another soldier to get information to Washingtons Army.British officer major Andre commandeered her house, but allowed the family to stay in the house. She could then listen in on their plotting and send word of their plans. Others influences were merely accidental like Peggy ONeale Eaton, married Senator John Eaton in 1828 during Andrew Jacksons presidency. Many gossiped about her coloured past and seeming infidelity with her first husband, when she married Eaton, she shunned by console table members wives due to her assumed sordid past. The behavior of the ladies towards her and the influence upon their husbands created such a disaster that the cabinet fell apartJackson fired them all.An unintentional influence on mens actions was Betsy Loring who was General Howes kept woman although she was the wife a loyalist, she distracted General Howe by entertaining and distracting him from battles with General Washington. The United States of America owes an enormous debt to Mary Ball Washington. She set the example of solid morals and religious opinions, and even read to her children aloud. We need to thank her for one incidentally decision that she made regarding the future of her son. When George was fourteen years old, his half-brother Lawrence obtained a midshipmans warrant for him in the English maritime service.George was already packed and ready to go, but his mother refused to give her acquiesce at the last minute. So, because of an inadvertent decision, George Washington became the Father of Our Country and our first President instead of an English naval officer. In conclusion, in all nations, including the United States, women have been influencing, either directly or indirectly, the decision and actions of the men. disregarding of whether we believe that changes women have made are good or bad, they have helped define this great nation of ours, and, as the French say, Viva la difference. Collins, G. (2003). Americas Women 400 Years of Dolls, Drudge s, Helpmates, and Heroines. New York HarperCollins Publishers Roberts, C. (2004_) Founding Mothers the Women Who increase Our Nation. _ New York HarperCollins Publishers Roberts, C. (2008). Ladies of Liberty the Women Who Shaped Our Nation. New York HarperCollins Publishers Taylor, S. K. (2004). The Diary of Susie King Taylor, Civil War nurse. Tarrytown, NY Benchmark books Zall, P. M. (1991). Founding Mothers Profiles of Ten Wives of Americas Founding Fathers. Bowie, MD Heritage Books