Women in the Struggle for America's Independence - Research Paper Example

Introduction One rarely hears about a symposium being held on the subject, “Men-their role in the society.” Such discussions are mostly about women. Women can be equal to the tasks being performed by men. Notwithstanding the persecutions that she suffers at every stage of life, not only in the traditional societies, but even in the progressive ones, her sacrifices when the occasion demands, are great. Woman is not equal to man, but more equal! She has shown her capacity to challenge the complex roles, hitherto not performed by her, when historical necessities demanded them from her. During the various wars, her brave and sterling qualities were displayed. Her one such important challenge was the war of American Revolution. Why American Revolution is unique from the perspective of women The American Revolution was unique as for its cultural and social aspects. Women involved themselves in different fronts and often served multiple objectives. The perspectives of participation in war efforts of the elite white women with their intellectual background, was different from the black and Native American women. They played their multiple roles in different segments of revolution. Carol Berkin, in her book, “Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence,” provides a gendered portrait of multiple revolutions. The author has attempted to tell a complex story in a simple tone, not filled with aggression or malice. She writes, “When men went off to fight the war, either on the battlefield or in the storehouses, women accepted the need to step in and direct household affairs, run the farm or shop, arm themselves against the enemy, and protect their families from danger.” (xvi) They were fighting a war of survival in most of the cases and the day to day challenges were unpredictable. The developments in the war front, the victories and setbacks, constantly played upon their psychology while managing their onerous responsibilities. Women not “passive observers,” rather “partners” Berkin has provided ample examples of women’s exploits that she hailed them as the Revolutionary Mothers. She argues, during the period of Revolution, women were not “passive observers" but rather "partners" with their husbands, brothers, fathers and sons (p. xv). The pages of American history of Revolution were daubed in the bloodshed of men and women and their experiences were entwined with challenges of racism, class structure and also by gender. Men managed the warfronts; women managed the home front, and some of them managed to be at the warfronts as well. She has given examples to prove her point relating to the exploits of women. Housewives like Lydia Darragh, moved out of British-occupied Philadelphia to give intelligence report to Washington’s army, and thus it was able to anticipate and remain prepared for the intended attack by British forces. (139-141) Grace Galloway, the loyalist woman blocked the attempts of the American army, to take possession of her husband’s property and looked after the farm and property, when her husband was taking part in the war. (94-96) Women also began to participate in political activities at the time of Revolution. Berkin illustrates the actions of Sarah Bache and Esther deBerdt Reed who collected funds for war efforts as American troops did not have supplies of food and clothing. They form a regular body, Ladies Association, for the purpose in view. Such women did their traditional roles, and to buttress the war effort, they made clothes for the soldiers. The experiences and hardships of the Revolution made women like Abigail Adams and Judith Sargent Murray to act for the incremental property rights for women and political participation of women on a regular basis setting the stage for grooming women as political leaders which ushered a new trend in American politics. Women as decision-makers Decision-making in the war-torn land was extremely tough. Women used their sixth sense to challenge the circumstances they were placed in. Majority of Indian Nations aligned with the British in tandem with the conviction that their victory was the guarantee for the protection of their land and independence. The cultural traditions of the tribes proved as their asset to control the tribe. They assumed authority through the age-old matrilineal system of governance. Women looked after agriculture. Power to select the tribal chief vested with them. Peculiar alignment of interests was not uncommon. Bur racism surfaced in one form or the other, and the sufferings of African-women continued. They were unable to take firm, principled decisions and took the opportunistic stance with no other alternative. Their main objective was self-interest and in the mercurial situation they tried to make up their mind which side worked to their advantage. They were not treated well by both the sides, King or the Congress. They were given unreliable assurances of freedom in lieu of their support. Many fled to Canada and racism confronted them there as well. The British played a clever ploy to gain their confidence by assuring them with written legal safeguards for their role in support of the cause of the Loyalists but soon that privilege was denied and their usual suffering continued. Thus the original problems of the black men and women remained the original problems, but through the tough ordeals of the Revolution black women gained confidence to deal with contingencies and they had better appreciation of their plight and learnt the ways and means to challenge them. Not help-mates but strategists According to Berkin, women were not mere helpmates to perform the secondary roles, but they acquitted themselves well in the challenging situations and took decisions befitting the trained army personnel. She gives the examples of Baroness von Riedesel and Rebecca Motte to substantiate her points of view. Due to the exigencies of the circumstances, Baroness wanted to reach her husband in America. She faced tough circumstances en route; she took charge of her household to fulfill the needs of her children, and also looked after the wounded and starving soldiers. Subsequent to her rejoining her husband, his poor health necessitated her to move beyond her traditional role as a helpmate to supervise the family affairs (90-91) As for Motte, she was compelled to take instant decisions, and advised the American troops to set fire to her house to prevent the British from taking its possession. (144) The Native American women understood the implications of Revolution, as American victory would result in drastic curbs of their economic and social status. (107)Another woman, Molly Brant, moved between white and Indian culture to negotiate with the Native Americans to fight for Britain and secure agreements between the indigenous authorities and the two fighting factions, British and the American troops. Thus, Brant was not a helper, but an ambassador with the power of a leader of the Mohawk and other Indian communities (110-113).Berkin proves her point that during the Revolution, women, both white and non-white cultures transgressed the socially demarcated line of male and female roles. The sterling qualities of women and their bravery came to the fore. Role of women in the post-Revolution scenario The role of women in the post-Revolution scenario had changed much. Women and the leaders of the society had learnt a lot. No longer were women considered "morally and mentally inferior to men" (151). Their performance gave clear indications that they were capable of making decisions and possessed daring qualities to implement them. Their judgment on war-related issues was often correct. An era of awakening for the women had dawned. Institutions for all-round development of personality of women were formed to enable them to be ideal mothers and companions to husbands on equal footing and rights. But revolution was an ongoing process for women, and even now the process is going on. The examples provided by Berkin of women in the cadre of loyalists, African Americans and Native Americans who played crucial roles in varied categories, highlighted their grit and determination. Revolution would not have been complete, without their efforts and sacrifices. Conclusion Berkin makes a perfect review of the authentic roles played by women during the course of Revolution, and how their responsibilities multiplied and how they aptly challenged them. Their wartime heroism altered the post-war male perceptions and initiated changes to better their lot. Women emerged from the long shadows of their husbands and other family members, to survey effectively the space outside the four walls of home. The contents of the book are a good guide for the sociologists and the policy framers of the Nation and women have a perfect case to seek equality in all segments of societal life. She gives details about the women-front during the Revolution well, by tendering many examples of the brave acts. She discusses how they performed the role of “surrogate husbands,” with instances of their political participation in times of war and return to family traditions once the war ended. All that finally the changed perception of men and the society in general, which she attributed as the direct product of Revolution. Her findings are well-researched, and it is impossible to disagree with her conclusions. Works Cited Berkin, Carol. Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005, Print. Read More