Important_Role_Played_by_Women_During_the_American_Civil_War.

Important role played by women during the American Civil War. Women from all the northern states participated in different ways to help. Women undertook working outside the home, endured hardships, and the heartbreak and sorrow as their men and young boys were taken away to fight in the war. Many men died or were maimed for live. There were even women who took up arms themselves and dressed in the uniforms of their deceased fathers, brothers, husbands and sons, fought alongside the men. Three hundred such women have been documented but scholars believe there were many more that were never discovered. Some served as a volunteer nurse during the Civil War and is credited with starting the American Red Cross. Many women put their own health at risk to volunteer in military hospitals. Some used whatever medical skill she had and organized groups of other women to collect supplies for the men. Provided medical health for men both physically and emotionally. Some provided meals for the Union soldiers and filled their canteens with water for the Northern soldiers. Some organized charity balls to raise funds for supplies for the troops. Some women formed groups such as the Sanitary Commission and the Christian Commission. These women also traveled with the troops. They were very good for morale. They comforted the lonely men, wrote letters for them, and shared their food. Many more men would have died from disease if it wasn't for the work of these brave women. Most of them were middle or higher class ladies, used to lives of privilege. They gave up their comfortable homes to travel by wagons with the troops, live in tents, and cook over open fires. Some women kept journals and diaries that recorded the day-to-day life during the war years and provided us with a first-hand view of history. Women worked in the camps, and fought on the battlefields and on the home front. Some even risked their lives as spies for the North. There were thousands of other women who helped who never had their names recorded. Northern women were the driving force behind the anti-slavery issue. They are all unsung heroines in the greatest battle ever fought on American soil. In the south many Confederate women sewed presentation flags for local regiments or became involved in organizations that sponsored every cause from aiding soldiers to supplying hospitals to arming gunboats. With traditional male authority figures absent from families and communities, women faced the difficult task of convincing themselves and the rest of Southern society to recognize their new authority and abilities Others contributed through unofficial channels, such as making and sending food and clothing to enlisted men. Some vocalized their newfound political identities in letters to government officials, newspapers, and even their husbands. A few Southern women went as far as becoming spies or disguising themselves as men and enlisting in the army to demonstrate their patriotism. In many cases, women took over the management of shops, farms, and plantations. Black and white mothers struggled to provide shelter, nourishment, and safety for their families, and they faced additional challenges in disciplining their children without a father's assistance. Slaveholding women faced the additional challenge of supervising and providing for slaves. While some women enjoyed their new independence, the ever-increasing demands of the war drained the patriotism and self-confidence of many others. What roles did Black slaves play in the Civil War' What roles did free Blacks play in the Civil War' How did the war affect each group' During the Civil War the history of African Americans served in the Union Army as well as the Union Navy. Both free slaves and slaves joined the war. Blacks did many things On the Confederate side, both free and slave, were used for labor. The Union (North) wanted to free blacks, but the south (Confederate) wanted to keep slaves with their labor to support the south financially. Confederate forces used slave labor to construct buildings and to supply forces with supplies. Slavery was not the main issue for the War Between the States. States rights were the main issue for going to war. While the blacks were making strides toward their own freedom, they were aided by the decisions made by the President Lincoln The Emancipation Proclamation also led to the 13th Amendment, enacted on December 18, 1865, made the war against slavery, which legally freed all slaves still in bondage and it accomplished was to discourage England and France from entering the war on the South's side. The War between the Declares becomes a war for democracy. The independence of the slaves was lastly established in the country. Under the law, men were equal. These changes were quicker to come about due to the chronic initiatives made by the black themselves. By fighting off their masters and through the army aid and other labor jobs they provided the Northern, the shades of black encouraged for their own emancipation. Although an official Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment gave freedom black in America, it took a while before they truly obtained equal rights. Only years of effort would decrease the racism that had been so engrained in the thoughts of People in the US. Blacks had yet to get over the discrimination, segregation, and racism widespread in the American society.