"I Stand for Liberty" - Conclusion
Throughout my research paper, I uncovered many new details about women’s lives and actions that I had never imagined or assumed initially. For example, I vaguely knew that women helped men during war by doing household chores that traditionally were done by the men, but I had never thought about how they would do this work in addition to their regular “feminine” chores. Likewise, I had not realized that being a launderer for a male soldier would mean following him around in the army as he moved from one place to another. My knowledge has grown in that I understand that during the Revolution, many women put their own lives on hold to work on behalf of the army and the causes for which it stood. For example, women who were camp followers, like the men they followed, gave up their home lives to fight for freedom. My research has allowed me to gain a deeper grasp in understanding that women did not just stay at home and keep to themselves, they stretched themselves to be everything and to fill in all the roles left empty by the men who were busy fighting on the front line. New information like this has given me a more substantial appreciation for women’s tough decisions. Before I began, I assumed that women who worked alongside of men or for the army were doing it out of the kindness of their heart and voluntarily. Though this is true to a certain degree, my research process made me realize that many men and officers wanted the women to join them. They threatened, persuaded, or influenced many women to work as nurses or camp followers who otherwise would have stayed in the familiarity of their homes. Even those women who stayed home, I learned, lived challenging lives, enveloped in struggles such as loneliness. It never before crossed my mind that whenever there is a war, if some family members leave to fight, others must stay behind and be willing to take on new, challenging jobs to try to maintain their homelife and not allow it to crumble as well. This research paper has opened my eyes to just how complex women’s roles were during the Revolution. I learned that whether women followed their men into the army to serve as camp followers and/or nurses, or they stayed at home and tried to maintain their farms and families, they faced many challenges, made many sacrifices, and were forced to learn new skills and expand their roles beyond what was customary at that time.
The role of women as camp followers, nurses, and at home in the American Revolution is a critical topic because without the help and involvement of women in taking on new roles and doing whatever needed to be done during a time of changing roles, the Colonists would not have won the war. The contribution of women was a priceless and vital one in keeping the soldiers healthy, clean, and happy; in maintaining farms and homes; in creating economic strain on the British through the boycotts; and in promoting the cause of liberty. Many women did all of these actions with enthusiasm, dedication, and love, a feat that is truly commemorable. There may have been times when women were tired, angry, frustrated, struggling, and in despair, but they carried on. Without the collaboration of women, the outcome of the war definitely would have been different. Soldiers would have died more often; more farms would have deteriorated into nothing; uniforms and other supplies would not have been ready for use; and boycotts may not have been successful. It is easy to forget women because history books often fail to include the role of women, focusing instead on the men, especially the male generals of the army. In addition, many people disregard and do not appreciate women’s contributions and perspectives in any time or era, let alone their roles in the American Revolution. But these women were just as courageous and as honorable as the men. They too wanted independence from Britain and stood up for liberty, so much that they were motivated to adopt countless roles. Even more than the men, women rose to the occasion and stepped past gender roles and comfort zones to take on new identities, for example, as nurses and farm managers. The influence of women in this war matters historically because the actions of women helped win the war. Although they are often ignored and forgotten, like the men, the women also fought and won the war. Without them, who knows what might have happened? The influence and roles of women should especially be commemorated in today’s world because the influence of women determined our past, is creating the present, and will shape the future. Women today, like yesterday, make up half of this world’s adult population, and as Abigail Adams wrote to her husband in 1776 during the American Revolution: “I desire you would remember the ladies.” (33)
The role of women as camp followers, nurses, and at home in the American Revolution is a critical topic because without the help and involvement of women in taking on new roles and doing whatever needed to be done during a time of changing roles, the Colonists would not have won the war. The contribution of women was a priceless and vital one in keeping the soldiers healthy, clean, and happy; in maintaining farms and homes; in creating economic strain on the British through the boycotts; and in promoting the cause of liberty. Many women did all of these actions with enthusiasm, dedication, and love, a feat that is truly commemorable. There may have been times when women were tired, angry, frustrated, struggling, and in despair, but they carried on. Without the collaboration of women, the outcome of the war definitely would have been different. Soldiers would have died more often; more farms would have deteriorated into nothing; uniforms and other supplies would not have been ready for use; and boycotts may not have been successful. It is easy to forget women because history books often fail to include the role of women, focusing instead on the men, especially the male generals of the army. In addition, many people disregard and do not appreciate women’s contributions and perspectives in any time or era, let alone their roles in the American Revolution. But these women were just as courageous and as honorable as the men. They too wanted independence from Britain and stood up for liberty, so much that they were motivated to adopt countless roles. Even more than the men, women rose to the occasion and stepped past gender roles and comfort zones to take on new identities, for example, as nurses and farm managers. The influence of women in this war matters historically because the actions of women helped win the war. Although they are often ignored and forgotten, like the men, the women also fought and won the war. Without them, who knows what might have happened? The influence and roles of women should especially be commemorated in today’s world because the influence of women determined our past, is creating the present, and will shape the future. Women today, like yesterday, make up half of this world’s adult population, and as Abigail Adams wrote to her husband in 1776 during the American Revolution: “I desire you would remember the ladies.” (33)