How Has The Revolutionary War Affected Families In The Late 1700's

The Revolutionary War had a huge impact on families in the late 1700’s. Not only did the war affect those in it and their immediate families but it also affected even those who took no part in the war. If you lived in the colonies there was no escaping the tragedy of war. One family that was greatly affected by the war was Benjamin’s family. Benjamin was a single father of many children, all who were affected by the Revolutionary War. Benjamin, himself voted against the war because he had already fought in a war and knew the consequences that came with it. His oldest son, Gabriel, on the other hand wanted to go to war and enlisted after the levy passed. Two years after the war had started Gabriel wrote to his family saying how he lost one of his close friends who fought by his side. In the movie “The Patriot” you see how people get shot right next to one another and you can tell how badly it must hurt to watch them fall to the ground and have to continue fighting. In “The Patriot” Gabriel came home covered in blood, hurt from fighting in the war. The next morning after he came home redcoats showed up at their house. The redcoats started to take Gabriel away and they were going to hang him. Thomas, Gabriel’s Fifteen year old little brother, tried to save him and was shot and killed in the process. Can you imagine watching a fifteen …show more content…
This hurt Benjamin because his wife had already died and now he wasn’t sure if he would be able to see his son again. After Gabriel left Benjamin said to the aunt, “I am losing my family.” Many fathers felt this way about their sons leaving for the war and many wives about their husbands. Along with wives losing husbands, children lost fathers. Every time someone left they never knew if that was going to be the final goodbye or if they would be able to come back home and I think the worst part was never