The Civil War is already known as one of the most devastating and destructive wars in American history, though many sacrifices were made that are still very seldom mentioned. As every Great War requires great effort and dedication on all fronts, it makes sense that the greatest war would have the greatest amounts of such effort and dedication. Upwards of 2.75 million total soldiers fought in this war, and millions more contributed to each side in other ways. The largest group of unsung heroes in this war were the massive numbers of women who supported our nation and made monumental contributions in the war. These women are hardly mentioned in textbooks, but are certainly worthy of note for their bravery and strength during this dark time in
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Anyone familiar with the classic story of Mulan (the tale of a woman in ancient China who joins the army in her aging father’s place) will already understand the fundamentals of how women were able to fight. A historian by the name of Deanne Blanton (Author of “They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the American Civil War”) points out, “Images of women during (The Civil War) center on self-sacrificing nurses... or brave ladies maintaining the home front...This conventional picture of gender roles during the Civil War does not tell the entire story...Women bore arms and charged into battle, too.” The soft, romantic, doe-eyed aesthetic of 19th century women was a popular image that left out the stubborn, sturdy bravery of the female soldiers. Despite the fact that being a female soldier was illegal, there were more than 400 documented cases of women cross-dressing to join the army, and it is estimated that many more went undocumented. In comparison with total numbers, 400 seems insignificant, but taking into account that each woman joining the battle at not only the risk of injury and death on the battlefield, but also the chance of jail time upon their returns home, the dedication and fearlessness of these women must have been immense. The meek, submissive stereotype of the antebellum woman did nothing to …show more content…
This patriarchal erasure of achievements washes over thousands of important women in history, all of whom have made contributions to societal and cultural growth in ways just as significant as the achievements of more well-known men in history. Women like Thompson and Blalock took the bravest (and possibly most reckless) courses of action by diving headfirst into the commotion of battle, risking jail time on one side, and death on the other. Dix and Barton went into the war as healers, and despite never brandishing a weapon (save perhaps a Bonesaw) the both of them witnessed the unimaginable, still managing to maintain composure under devastating calamity. While these women faced the war on the side of soldiers, many others like Coston worked on the technological aspect of combat and communication, improving both with the result of less meaningless bloodshed. Though these and countless other female heroes in history have been shoved aside in the glorification of their male comrades, these ladies achieved incredible feats of valor and brilliance, and deserve to be respected and esteemed in the same
Anyone familiar with the classic story of Mulan (the tale of a woman in ancient China who joins the army in her aging father’s place) will already understand the fundamentals of how women were able to fight. A historian by the name of Deanne Blanton (Author of “They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the American Civil War”) points out, “Images of women during (The Civil War) center on self-sacrificing nurses... or brave ladies maintaining the home front...This conventional picture of gender roles during the Civil War does not tell the entire story...Women bore arms and charged into battle, too.” The soft, romantic, doe-eyed aesthetic of 19th century women was a popular image that left out the stubborn, sturdy bravery of the female soldiers. Despite the fact that being a female soldier was illegal, there were more than 400 documented cases of women cross-dressing to join the army, and it is estimated that many more went undocumented. In comparison with total numbers, 400 seems insignificant, but taking into account that each woman joining the battle at not only the risk of injury and death on the battlefield, but also the chance of jail time upon their returns home, the dedication and fearlessness of these women must have been immense. The meek, submissive stereotype of the antebellum woman did nothing to …show more content…
This patriarchal erasure of achievements washes over thousands of important women in history, all of whom have made contributions to societal and cultural growth in ways just as significant as the achievements of more well-known men in history. Women like Thompson and Blalock took the bravest (and possibly most reckless) courses of action by diving headfirst into the commotion of battle, risking jail time on one side, and death on the other. Dix and Barton went into the war as healers, and despite never brandishing a weapon (save perhaps a Bonesaw) the both of them witnessed the unimaginable, still managing to maintain composure under devastating calamity. While these women faced the war on the side of soldiers, many others like Coston worked on the technological aspect of combat and communication, improving both with the result of less meaningless bloodshed. Though these and countless other female heroes in history have been shoved aside in the glorification of their male comrades, these ladies achieved incredible feats of valor and brilliance, and deserve to be respected and esteemed in the same