Women and the American Revolution

Women and the American Revolution Jan Lewis Downloaded from http://maghis.oxfordjournals.org/ nyone who teaches the history of power. We may ask the old questions, but tions. It was believed, for example, that A the American Revolution faces a we can address them in more inclusive gentlemen were superior to yeomen, the challenge: What do we say about the expe ways. We might even return to Carl free superior to slaves, and men superior rience of the fifty percent of the popula Becker's old question and ask how Revo to women. As a consequence, girls owed at OAH member access on July 2, 2012 tion that was female when we talk about lutionary the war was. How did it affect obedience to their fathers and-when they the political history of our nation? As we the half of the population that was female? married-to their husbands. Although by all know, the past several years have wit Focusing upon the position of women the eighteenth century family relations nessed the growing conviction that were generally affectionate, with we should teach a history that is parents doting upon their children, more inclusive, that talks about what and couples marrying not for money, the most acerbic critics of the cur but for love, it was everywhere be rent curricula describe as something Return to Carl Becker sold lieved that the father/husband was more than the history of dead white question and ask how Revo the head of the household. Indeed, men. Those who have heeded this when a woman married, she lost call have most often transformed lutionary the war was. How control of any property that she had their lessons by shifting the focus owned as an individual; it became from political history to social his did it affect the half of the her husband's, to do with as he tory, from the most significant ac pleased. For this reason, marriages tions of an elite to the daily lives of population that was female? were to be entered into with some the masses (1). Yet to make such a caution. Among the landed gentry, pedagogical move is also to offer a marriage settlements were negoti particular interpretation of history; ated withgreat care. Although young it suggests a gap between daily experience provides us with a method for addressing men and women were left free to select and political action and in fact reinforces one of those questions historians love to their own mates, parents retained a veto exactly the assumption-that history has pose: was the Revolution really a revo power, not to mention considerable pow been made by powerful white men upon lution, or was it merely a change of ers of persuasion. Almost all persons powerless women, minorities, and poor regime (2)? . married, at the time of the Revolution, people-that a more inclusive history Let us begin with the conventional white men typically in their early twen should challenge. In order to integrate depictions of woman's place. Colonial ties, and women, a year or two earlier. women into the history of the Revolution, Americans generally accepted hierarchi Married, a woman left her father's then, we must address the question of cal notions of social and political rela- home for her husband's, exchanging one OAH Magazine ofHistory • Summer 1994 23 sort of subordination for another. "Read way that colonial society thought about bore him two children. Then, in 1778, she often the Matrimonial Service," the Vir women that prevented the occasional fe complained to her brother Richard Henry ginia Gazette instructed women, "and over male from engaging in these sorts of occu Lee that she was being taxed without look not the important word OBEY" (3). pations. representation; she believed that widows, The substance of Thomas Jefferson's in Women's education worked in much at least, deserved the vote. Her brother structions to his just-married daughter was the same way. On the one hand, women's agreed in principle, but the matter stopped pretty much the same: "The happiness of education was far inferior to men's, for there (10). your life depends now on continuing to women were thought to have no need of The Revolution would not make please a single person. To this all other learning. As a consequence, female lit women full citizens of the new nation. objects must be secondary" (4). eracy lagged far behind that of men, with The occasional outspoken woman-like Once married, a woman was expected perhaps less than half of the white female Hannah Lee Corbin or Abigail Adams, to become a mother, and indeed, just as the population literate at the time of the Revo who told her husband John to "remember Downloaded from vast majority of women married, so the lution, compared to eighty percent of the the Ladies"-raised the issue of female vast majority of them bore children. On men (8). On the other hand, the occasional citizenship, but it was not seriously con average, women would bear eight or nine woman could become an intellectual with sidered. We could compare the direct children and hence spend most of their out being accused of being un-feminine. effect of the Revolution upon the position adult lives pregnant, nursing, or caring for Obvious examples include Anne of women to that of slaves, where the issue http://maghis.oxfordjournals.org/ a baby (5). Although women performed Bradstreet, Judith Sargent Murray, and was raised forcefully, and to some effect. most of the work of childrearing, men held Lady Jean Skipwith of Mecklenburg Co., The anomaly of a war for independence final responsibility for their off that denied liberty to slaves was spring; indeed, childrearing manu- sufficiently obvious that it had to be als were addressed to fathers, or addressed-in the tortured compro sometimes both parents, and not to mises and significant evasions of mothers (6). On average, women would the Constitution, in the emancipa Although most women spent bear eight or nine children tion of slaves in the states north of most of their lives keeping house the Mason-Dixon line, and ulti at OAH member access on July 2, 2012 and caring for their children, such andhence spendmostoftheir mately, in the Civil War. By way of activities were considered women's contrast, there was not even a na- work, their contributions to the adult lives pregnant, nursing, tional debate about the status of household economy. There were women (11). other ways that women could con or caring for a baby. Although there was no debate tribute to the household economy, about woman's inferior political po as well, and under certain condi- sition at the time of the Revolution, tions, such as the death of her hus- the consensus on woman's nature band, a woman might engage in a male Virginia, whose library of more than eight shifted significantly, and this change is occupation or activity. Women often hundred volumes was one of the greatest closely related to the ideology of the Revo served as inn and tavern keepers, and they in colonial America (9). lution. As historians such as Bernard sometimes became shopkeepers, as well. One other point might be made about Bailyn and Gordon S. Wood have noted, Perhaps the most prominent eighteenth proper female demeanor: it was generally many Revolutionaries subscribed to the century Virginia businesswoman was believed that women, especially those of republican tenet that the success of their Clementina Rind, who in 1773 became the elite, were to be modest, retiring, chaste, new nation would rest upon the virtue of editor of the Yirginia Gazette after the and sweet. Nonetheless, there is abundant its citizenry, their capacity to sacrifice death of its previous editor/owner, her evidence that many women were bold and their own narrow self-interests for the husband. In much the same way, women assertive. We have accounts of Virginia good ofthe entire nation (12). As a result, widows replaced their husbands as wire women who spoke back, went to cock one of the objectives of the Revolutionary workers, stonecutters, millers, tanners, fights, and travelled around the country movement was to develop and maintain shoemakers, and even, in Henrico County, side unchaperoned. The William Byrd the virtue of the citizenry. Women were Virginia, as proprietor of the county jail. and Landon Carter diaries each provide assigned and claimed a role in this en Moreover, there were several occupa portraits of difficult, unsubdued women. deavor, not as citizens themselves, but tions-midwifery, millinery, and Another example, once again from Vir through their influence upon men, princi mantua-making that were primarily fe ginia, would be Hannah Lee Corbin, who pally as wives, but also as mothers. One male (7). Such women were clearly the in the 1760s became a Baptist and, after magazine article stated that women had exceptions, yet there was nothing in the her husband died, lived with a man and the power "to make our young men, not in 24 OAH Magazine ofHistory • Summer 1994 empty words, but in deed and in truth, in commonalities, such as all men are in New Jersey where, for more than a republicans" (13). createdequal, ratherthan differences. That quarter of a century, unmarried women For women to be able to wield this sort is why it threatened slavery, after all. The who met the property qualification were of influence, they themselves would have millenialism of Revolutionary thought, allowed to vote. Everywhere educational to be virtuous. Until about the middle of like its egalitarianism, spilled over to opportunities for women were expanded, the eighteenth century, women were con women in a similar way; it attempted to and female literacy rose as a consequence sidered morally weaker than men, and like incorporate women into its scheme for a (16).

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