Analysis Of Revolutionary Mothers By Carol Berkin

After reading the novel Revolutionary Mothers I have gained significant knowledge and a better grasp of the Revolutionary war. Carol Berkin 's purpose in writing this book was a simple one: Presenting a series of lenses of various raced women and how they affected and were effected by the Revolutionary War. She presents how women of every skin color was a major factor during the war and ultimately in aiding the formation of our nation. A major difference between this novel and what I have previously learned is that this novel magnifies contributions women have made for this country. Furthermore the textbooks that I read once in class greatly minimize those contributions and just give a broad overview of them.

By presenting women with the opportunity to use their voice, they were able to advance the development of Colonial and Post-War America. Without the help of women during the American Revolution, soldiers would have lacked prepared food, repaired and washed clothing, medical care, relevant information, and in some cases, additional manpower. After the War, most women could only influence politics by encouraging their male relatives.

During the revolutionary war women started working in farms and fought beside men. The

In the months leading up to World War Two, additional labor was needed in the United States. Men had to fight in the war, so they left their jobs unoccupied. Women were needed to work in the war front, as well as in “essential civilian” jobs--jobs that kept the home front running smoothly. Examples of these occupations are teachers, taxi drivers, child-care workers, bank tellers, restaurant workers, and police officers (Colman). Housewives were the only group of people who were not contributing to the war efforts, or in Teresa English’s words “the only untapped demographic.”

Women were considered inferior to men; they had to rights and most of all no voice. Typically, as the old saying goes ‘they were to be seen and not hear’. Revolutionary Mothers, by Carol Berkin tells of the general stereotypes of women in America, the roles in which they played during the America revolution, and lastly it tells the story of the women through their own words. Stereotypes of Women In chapter one, Berkin states “God had created her to be a helpmate to man….and formed her for this purpose…to be frugal, and obedient (2005, p.4)”.

The Fight for Women’s Independence When thinking about the Revolutionary War, we think about the American colonist fighting against British rule for America’s freedom. In Carol Berkin’s book, Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the struggle for America’s Indepe6ndence, we are shown through women’s eyes how the war affects them, and not just the army’s that fought in the war. The war saw changes in women that were different than their style of life had been, although not always recognized by the men who fought the war. Berkin argues that women were still treated the same as before the war, no matter the struggle for independence for their nation and themselves. I agree with Carol Berkin, because women did what they could at home or in the front

During and before, women’s role in society was another crucial point in the revolution. Women could never vote or own property. During the revolution, particularly the boycotting period, those products vital to the colonists that were boycotted were made by women. Women supported boycotts and it would not have been successful without them. Women also served as maids, cooks, nurses, secret soldiers, and spies.

First Generations: Women of Colonial America, written by Carol Berkin, is a novel that took ten years to make. Carol Berkin received her B.A. from Barnard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She has worked as a consultant on PBS and History Channel documentaries. Berkin has written several books on the topic of women in America. Some of her publications include: Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence (2004) and Civil War Wives: The Life and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant (2009).

In the book Revolutionary Mothers, author Carol Berkin discusses women’s roles in the American Revolution. She separates out the chapters so that she can discuss the different experiences and roles of women during the period. She utilizes primary and secondary sources to talk about how women stepped into their husband’s shoes and maintained their livelihoods and how they furthered the war effort on both sides, as well as how classes and race effected each woman’s experience. Berkin’s main goal was for the reader to understand that although women’s roles aren’t traditionally discussed when talking about the American Revolution, nevertheless, they played a major part in it.

Around the late 18th to early 19th century, colonial American New England life was centered on living independently and being finally free from the British Empire after the Revolutionary War. Establishing control of a newly founded government with set functions and a first president, there were progressive changes that America had to act upon post-war. However, behind the political aspects that are greatly highlighted in American history, the roles of women in society, particularly midwives shouldn’t be cast aside. Although women were largely marginalized in early New England life because of their gender, nevertheless Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s A Midwife’s Tale is instructive because it demonstrates the privilege of men’s authority in society

One might think that men had the greatest role in the Revolution, but women had an equal role in making the Revolution

The life of Women in the late 1800s. Life for women in the 1800s began to change as they pushed for more rights and equality. Still, men were seen as better than women, this way of thinking pushed women to break out from the limitations imposed on their sex. In the early 1800s women had virtually no rights and ultimately were not seen as people but they rather seen as items of possession, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that women started to gain more rights. The Civil War actually opened opportunities for women to gain more rights, because with many of the men gone to war women were left with the responsibilities that men usually fulfilled during that time period.

If women continued to gain power and independence then the fabric of society would disintegrate and gender relations would be altered, which men did not want to happen. Americans had a choice of keeping the practices and ideals of the revolution concerning women or maintain the social

The women were rebelling to the people to prove that they could do anything. That is the reason that Rosie the Riveter became a thing. She was the symbol all over the world that proves women are just as strong as men, from farming,

The French Revolution of 1789-1799 aimed to spread Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood through France and through Europe. It wished to create a French Republic and it ultimately resulted in the overthrow and executions of the King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. It failed, however, to secure voting rights for women. Despite this, participation of women in the Revolution was clear. However, the question remains - just how did women help the Revolution, and how important were their roles?