Many people have heard the legend of Molly Pitcher, the Heroine of Monmouth, but do many people know her story? Do they know her name wasn't "Molly" at all, or even if Molly was an actual person. The legend of Molly Pitcher goes all the way back to the start of the American Revolution, but who were they exactly? What was their childhood like, what were they known for before the Battle of Monmouth, and what did they do exactly to make her such an icon for the American population? The most infamous Molly Pitcher was Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. Little is known about Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley before the events at Monmouth, only scarce details of her life are known. Few details are indeed confirmed. However, Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley was
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Ballads and stories ranging from heroic to risqué in their acts. Never the less, all of them added to the legend that is Molly Pitcher. Most recently the painting of a woman manning an artillery cannon while her husband lays incapacitated on the ground was used as propaganda during WWII. These compilations were used to attract women into supporting the war effort going on overseas. While Molly Pitcher is not utilized in the same capacity as during that time, the significance of her image is still used by the modern military. In a time when women were expected to be waiting at home for word from their husbands, Molly Pitcher was the shining light on all the women that were the unsung heroes of war. As written by Ida Clarke as far back as 1918, "The achievement of American women … will stand out in no shadowy and uncertain outline against the background of history that the future generation will read; for woman's share in the nation's task in this gigantic struggle for freedom is to mark a new era, both in the conduct of war and in the history of the women movement" (p. 5). Women today, more than ever before, have a substantial presence in all realms of the armed forces. Their roles have evolved from fetching pitchers of water for battling men to guiding troops from leadership
Ballads and stories ranging from heroic to risqué in their acts. Never the less, all of them added to the legend that is Molly Pitcher. Most recently the painting of a woman manning an artillery cannon while her husband lays incapacitated on the ground was used as propaganda during WWII. These compilations were used to attract women into supporting the war effort going on overseas. While Molly Pitcher is not utilized in the same capacity as during that time, the significance of her image is still used by the modern military. In a time when women were expected to be waiting at home for word from their husbands, Molly Pitcher was the shining light on all the women that were the unsung heroes of war. As written by Ida Clarke as far back as 1918, "The achievement of American women … will stand out in no shadowy and uncertain outline against the background of history that the future generation will read; for woman's share in the nation's task in this gigantic struggle for freedom is to mark a new era, both in the conduct of war and in the history of the women movement" (p. 5). Women today, more than ever before, have a substantial presence in all realms of the armed forces. Their roles have evolved from fetching pitchers of water for battling men to guiding troops from leadership