Carol Berkin’s Book Revolutionary Mothers
The role of women in the American Revolution
The daughter of liberty was formed after the British parliament passed the stamp act. The organization was mainly made up of women who demonstrated its revolutionary loyalty through resisting British goods and making their own. One of the most prominent leaders of daughters of liberty was Martha Washington. These women also spearheaded domestic goods; there was an act of political rebellion into the textiles that were being imported from Britain comprising of weaving homespun cloth. The daughters of liberty made spinning public demonstrations in towns such as Rhode Island and Newport, where there was a gathering of 93 women where 171 skeins of yarn were produced (Gelles, pg. 313-317).
Even though women were not allowed to serve in the militia or army, they assisted in many crucial ways; the soldier’s wives, daughters, sisters, and girlfriends joined the camp in performing many duties. These women could cook, clean, mend uniforms, tending to the ill and injured soldiers, mended uniforms, milked cows, herded farm animals, and even forage for food. Women showed their dedication to their roles and duties by posing a danger to their lives, and some American women were performing the role of being spies. They could enter the camps were the British were and fetch information and pass to their rebels since Thomas gage, a British general got married to Margaret Kemble, who was an American woman, she could spy some information and take them to their rebels. Therefore she was serving as a spy for women Americans. During the battle, the women who were mostly the soldier’s wives could take water to the troops to keep them cool during the war, a soldier by the name William hays was wounded during the war, and his wife, Mary Ludwick took his position. The woman had served in the valley forge battle, and therefore she fought during the battle, later the government gave her pension for her service in the war, and she made history in America as Molly Pitcher.
The role of people of color in the American revolutionary
During the first half of the 19th century, African Americans living in the united states were working as slaves and forced laborers on the whites firms. Although they were denied their basic rights by the slave-owners, they resisted the act through large scale uprisings and small acts of defiance. Most people of color lived in the cities of the south and upper north, and therefore in the 19th century, they played a critical role in the growth of the abolition movement (Summers, pg. 212-234). The enslaved people did not have rights, and the whites could not respect them in any manner, they had no authority to marry, own land, traveling without a pass and could not seek justice on any harm caused to them by whites. Women were raped, and their children sold by the whites; they could destroy or kill their properties without any consequences.
African Americans who were under slavery found ways to endure the touching and bodily agony that was being exacted to them by slavery, the religion both African and Christian families joined together in supporting one another. The enslaved men and women could marry one another and tr5he ceremonies done mentally. The African culture was kept alive through music and dances, which contributed to creating a new culture of African Americans who were blended folks of Africa. The slaves posed resistance every day, whereby they started to break tools, working slowly and even feigned illness. Some even ran to free states of Canada, which abolished slavery a long time ago. There was the frequent uprising of arms whereby there was a looming rebellion in the larger white southerners. In 1831, there was a major uprising of enslaved people in the southeastern part of Virginia, where 57 whites were killed. Enslaved preacher by the name Turner believed that he had gotten a message from God to overturn the order of society, he gathered a group of free black men and enslaved Africans whereby they moved through the white neighborhoods killing slave-owning families and freeing the enslaved Africans. The growing abolition reform and rebellion movement in the early republic were due to free people of color in the north, and free black Boston clothing merchants were formed by David Walker, who wrote a pamphlet which was disapproving slavery and discrimination from race calling for the plea to the citizens of color.
Role of Dolly Madison in the evacuation of Washington, DC.
Dolley Madison saved the portrait of George Washington from being looted by troops from the British, which happened in the 1812 wars. When President James Madison left the white house on august twenty-second for the theatre of war, he asked his wife Dolley to have courage and firmness to wait for him because troops from the British had issued threats in entering the capital (Lamoureux, pg. 34-56). The next day, the few servants and Dolley were waiting for either the troops or Madison. Therefore they scan the horizon with spyglasses. As the troops entered, Dolley abandoned the couples’ personal belongings, so she decided to save the former president and the George Washington emblem from devastation by troop soldiers from British. On the night of twenty-third, dolly wrote to her sister about the exasperation done to her sister, who had come to help her escape at her mission of saving the portrait. She ordered the framework to be broken since the image was screwed on the wall, Dolley left the white house where she met her husband in the thunderstorm middle, the white house was taken over by British troops where they enjoyed feasting using presidents silverware, they later burned the building. Madison could not be again able to access the Whitehouse, and therefore he lived the rest of his life in octagon house city.
Women during the Jacksonian era
In history, women had played a critical role in society; in the jacksonian era, there were various changes that America was undergoing (Clapp, pg. 90-112). Even though women did not have the right to vote and were not allowed to get involved in-laws and politics, their presence was still heard. Women were able to convince the government through their unwritten social laws.
In the united states, some believed in Christ second coming, and therefore, they were called utopian movements, comprising Oneida perfectionists and the latter-day saints of the church of Christ. These groups were developed and founded for a response to the society in which they lived. They were based upon informing distinct communities separate from the rest of the American public (Murse, pg 76). The foundation of these groups was a result of those who disagreed with the larger social practices and were hoping to correct these problems by forming their communities of segregation. These people would see something which was wrong and perform envisioning and come up with a community whose main intention was to correct the wrong to become flawless. These religious movements had a different set of distinct rituals, and therefore they had belief in the core of their world and views of life. Each community had attitudes of sex, which was unique, and the general public never viewed it. Today, shaker and needs are known for their handiwork in furniture and silverware exceeding their religion, and the Mormons are not known for any product they are producing but still believe in religion and continue to draw more members.
Conclusion
The role of women impacted the revolution in America as they worked hard to liberate the country, which many people could not believe they can do. Women were taken to be mere, whereby they did not have the right to vote and practice in politics, but through courage, they formed movements to fight for the American Revolution. The impact of women is also seen in Washington’s evacuation, whereby Dolley saved the president portraits from the British troops through firmness and courage. The African Americans also got the courage to start the rebellion against race and color because they were put under slavery by the whites; this was a positive move as it tries to fight for the rights of people who were being tortured and denied their freedom.
Work cited
Clapp, Elizabeth J. A Notorious Woman: Anne Royall in Jacksonian America. University of Virginia Press, 2016.
Gelles, Edith. “Revolutionary Women.” The William and Mary Quarterly 76.2 (2019): 313-317.
Lamoureux, Ashley. “Martha Washington: The First, First Lady.” (2019).
Morse, Flo. The Story of the Shakers (Revised Edition). The Countryman Press, 2016.
Renwick, Robin. Fighting with Allies: America and Britain in Peace and War. Biteback Publishing, 2016.
Summers, Corey Elizabeth. Revolutionary women: notable Revolutionary-era women deserving of a commemorative postage stamp. Diss. Southern New Hampshire University, 2017.