The Part Played by Women in the American Civil War Coursework Example

Name: Course Instructor: Date: The Part Played by Women in the American Civil War Many American women during the civil war spun their devotion to the world outside the home. A huge number of them from the North and South offered to assist in the war as nurses, and some joined volunteer while others were serving as spies. In the American history, this was the first time women played an important part in the war front. However, not all women necessarily had to become soldiers for them to experience this new independence. Because most men joined the army, most businesses were left in the care of women. The appearance of the women empowerment in the period of the civil war brought about a positive energy for the women's rights movement. Women were getting recognized and got the chance to control their own lives as well as manage their homes and finances. Several females worked as secret agents for the Union armies and confederate in the civil war, they flirted with the enemy militaries at dinners, social events, and parties to gather military intelligence for their government. They also smuggled medicine, ammunitions, and supplies across enemy lines through hiding the supplies inside their big hoop skirts. Most of the female spies were rarely detected because they never suspected women to be part of the war; this made it easier for them to get into the Union strongholds and the Northern cities. Moreover, some of the spies were so cunning that they could charm military and government officials to gather information. Or listen in to conversations in hotel lobbies. Some well-known women who were notoriously known during the war are Elizabeth Van Lew, Harriet Tubman, Rose Greenhow and Belle Boyd. Others shied away from talking about their covert works after the war such as Nashville’s Mary Frances “Fanny” Battle (Smith 404). Nursing is one of the major roles that women were associated with during the Civil War; this was partly because of Nurse Clara Barton, ...