Women Of The Civil War - 1329 Words

When we think of the Civil War, many think of the sacrifices and influences of the men during this time. Women of the Civil War however, were also active participants of making history. Their lives before the war were that of being proper. Their focus was working to maintain and support their families. The Civil War stole away the life as women knew it and placed them into a whole different role- one that was much more difficult both physically and emotionally. Women of both the North and the South were forced to accept a much different role in order to survive. The Civil War was the first account in history where women had an active role throughout a war. It was their first opportunity to make a difference in our country’s history.†¦show more content†¦Their roles were much like the women of the north, however, those who had come from Lewis- 2 wealth experienced a much greater change. Where they had been dependent on slaves for help, they were now forced into hard times and doing hard work themselves. The Civil War had brought the fighting onto their own land and into their homes. Homes and churches were now used as hospitals in order to care for the large number of injured soldiers. Union soldiers stole much of the provisions that women and children needed in order to survive. This forced women to leave their homes and live with relatives or move into cities. Their lives as they had known it before the war was completely changed. They no longer had the security they knew before the war had begun. Life as they knew it was gone. The Civil War encouraged slaves towards gaining their freedom, but in return added to their hardships. Women were forced to continue their work load while taking on the responsibilities of husbands, fathers, and sons. Union troops often took the male slaves leaving women and childre n to fend for themselves. Many were forced to live in â€Å"contraband camps† that were overly crowded. Shelter was not sufficient, needed supplies were not available, and abuse was often experienced from the soldiers. Women and children were often given the opportunity to learn to read and write. In addition, schools were established to help to educate these individuals. In the north and