Civil War: Women's Roles and Contributions

Women's Roles in the Civil War

• Many women worked in arsenals, sewing garments and uniforms for soldiers.
• They became a crucial part of the war effort, often through benevolent aid societies and government jobs.

Benevolent Aid Societies

• The women organized under the United States Sanitary Commission in the North.
• Their work was critical for providing supplies to troops, termed as the "domestic supply line."
• Women helped send care packages with food, medicine, and other essential items.

Challenges Faced by Women Workers

• The large influx of troops meant insufficient resources for clothing and food; women stepped in to fill this gap.
• The phrase "domestic supply line" highlights the significance of women's contributions.
• Women in arsenals were preferred over teenage boys for safety reasons, as working with gunpowder was dangerous.

Accidents in Arsenals

• Highlighted incidents:
• Washington DC Arsenal explosion on June 17, 1864, killed 22 women.
• Richmond Virginia explosion killed 40 women.
• Allegheny Arsenal in Pittsburgh explosion on September 17, 1862, was the deadliest noncombatant catastrophe of the Civil War, killing 78 women and children.
• Accidents drew attention to the hazards in arsenals, leading to government investigations.

Nursing During the Civil War

• Initially a male-dominated field, nursing became predominantly female during the war.
• Dorothea Dix was appointed as the superintendent of union nurses, implementing strict age and appearance criteria for women.
• Women took on various roles: dressing the wounded, assisting surgeons, serving meals, and more.
• Nurses earned 40 cents per day plus subsistence during their service.

Women Acting as Camp Followers

• Many women followed regiments, performing necessary tasks like cooking and laundry.
• This included immigrant women and those needing to support themselves.

Kinship Networks and Women’s Support

• With many men away in battle, women depended on kinship networks for protection and support.
• Women banded together, relying on family and friends for financial and emotional support.

Women’s Involvement in Espionage

• Some disguised themselves as men to enlist or became spies.
• Examples of influential women spies include Belle Boyd and Nancy Hart, who used their charm and intelligence to gather intelligence and aid the Confederate cause.
• Belle Boyd: Captured and became a messenger in the Confederate Intelligence Service.
• Nancy Hart: Guided Confederate soldiers and managed to escape capture through quick thinking.

Smuggling and Deception

• Women engaged in clever ruses to smuggle goods and information, often portraying themselves innocently to outsmart soldiers.
• Smuggling liquor and other supplies to soldiers became common, showcasing women's resourcefulness during times of war.

Social Changes Post-War

• The Civil War opened up various roles for women outside the domestic sphere, with many women working as nurses, in business, or even enlisting disguised as men.
• This shift triggered long-term societal changes regarding women's roles and expectations in America post-war.