Women during the years 1775-1783 were not treated equally on matters of independence. The promise of liberty and equality that was promised to all citizens was overlooked when it came to women. The women started out doing the jobs that most people consider women to be best at, such as the usual household chores like cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children.
Once the war started though and the women had to move around with there fathers or husbands, the roles of the women began to expand. The women of the men fighting in the war, left poor, unprotected and unable to care for themselves often followed their husbands and fathers in the war, and for the women who did not follow their husbands or fathers were left in charge of the farms and the businesses owned by their fathers and husbands. At the camp they cooked, cleaned, and sewed. The women were well-suited for these types of jobs since they were the day-to-day jobs they performed prior to leaving home. The women were then put to work for the army doing the same jobs. The general’s wives jobs, however, were to host dinner parties with dancing.
"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”
– Martha Washington
Martha Washington, wife of General George Washington, was different than the usual general wives. She is remembered more for how and what she did for the Revolutionary army. She started out like a normal camp follower but slowly became so much more than that. There were rumors that circulated around the camp saying that Martha was against the war but after she started serving the army those rumors were put out. Martha's main focus obviously was to take care of her husband but she also took care of the other soldiers as well.
The women were very important to the society as well as in the war efforts . They sewed clothes and washed clothes by hand, did the farming, sold the eggs from there chickens from the farm, fed and butchered animals so that there husbands were able to eat and stay strong to continue to fight in the war, they took care of the soldiers, and nursed the injured. There jobs were relativity safe, except for child labor, one and eight women died while giving birth and most pregnancies ended with a miscarriage.
Women's part in the war efforts involved recruiting, sewing uniforms for the soldiers, taking care of the soldiers who were wounded, raising money for the military equipment, and for the soldiers who were passing through, they opened there doors to them and took care of them while they stayed in their homes.
"They also serve who only stand and wait," quoted from the book, "The American Revolution" The North American Review.
While the soldiers stand around waiting for the enemy to approach, the women are slaving over chores such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, nursing, etc. The men went in search of the danger and they did so with bravery and courage but while they wait the women are working and tending to the children.
While the soldiers stand around waiting for the enemy to approach, the women are slaving over chores such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, nursing, etc. The men went in search of the danger and they did so with bravery and courage but while they wait the women are working and tending to the children.