Revolutionary WOMEN (IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE) TINKERS, TAILORS, SOLDIERS, LOYAL SPIES PATRIOTS PATRIOTIC LOYALISTS GALS DISGUISED AS GUYS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Revolutionary_Women_FC.indd 1 3/7/17 2:31 PM 2 Ready for Revolution In 1775, Britain ruled 13 colonies on North America’s eastern coast, from Mas- sachusetts (which included what is now Maine) to Georgia. Many colonists were tired of British rule. They had argued with u COLONISTS WANTED into Boston Harbor. Afterward, she Britain for years about taxes and laws they to protest a British The event is now heated water in tax on tea. On the called the Boston her kitchen so they thought were unfair. In April 1775, fight- night of December Tea Party. Sarah could wash off the ing broke out between the colonists and 16, 1773, some Fulton helped disguises. That’s the British army. The American Revolu- men boarded ships the men disguise why she is called and threw all of themselves as the Mother of the tion had begun. their cargo of tea Mohawk warriors. Boston Tea Party. At the time of the Revolution, a woman’s role in society was limited. Most women were expected to spend their lives taking care of their home and family. Women pre- pared meals over an open fire, milked the cows, and fed the chickens. They churned butter and made candles and soap. Most of u MERCY OTIS Warren was the them also made their family’s clothing. sister and the wife Poor women and enslaved African women of well-known did all this while also working for other Patriots. She received her edu- people. Women were not expected to take cation by listening part in politics or business. The world of in on her brothers’ lessons. She wrote politics was for white male property own- plays that made ers. Still, many women became involved in fun of British rul- events leading up to the Revolution and in u IN 1774, IN of for women to ers. Back then, Edenton, North take such a public plays usually were the Revolution itself. Some were Patriots, Carolina, 51 stand. This British not staged in New who believed in independence for the col- women signed a cartoon pokes fun England. But they onies. Others were Loyalists, who sup- petition. It said they at the women of were printed in would boycott (not Edenton for “un- newspapers. That’s ported Britain’s king. All were very brave buy) British goods. ladylike” behavior. where people read to step outside of their traditional roles. It was unheard Warren’s plays. l FOR THE FIRST d LOYALIST WOMEN Boston shop. Local few years of the also made their Patriots wanted Revolution, most of opinions known. them to stop. Betsy the fighting was in Many took pride in told the Patriots the North. Then the serving imported that they were British attacked tea. Anne and hurting “two indus- the South. The last Elizabeth (Betsy) trious girls who major battle was Cummings kept [were trying] in an fought in Yorktown, selling British honest way to [get Virginia, in 1781, goods in their their] bread.”* but some smaller fights took place after that. *Elizabeth Cummings. From Those Remarkable Women of the American Revolution by Karen Zeinert. The Millbrook Press, 1996. Revolutionary_Women_2-3.indd 2 3/7/17 2:37 PM 3 Revolutionary_Women_2-3.indd 3 3/7/17 2:37 PM 4 ANN BAILEY’S Continental Army military career Serving the Cause as Robert Shurtliff. did not go as Women were not allowed to serve She served for a well as Deborah year and a half. Sampson’s. In in George Washington’s Conti- One story says she 1777, Bailey enlist- nental Army. But evidence shows was hit by a mus- ed in the army as that at least four women became ket ball and cut the Samuel Gay. Within ball out of her own three weeks she part of the fighting force. Boys as u DEBORAH SAMPSON leg to avoid being was promoted to young as 14 joined the army. So a was a Massachu- looked at by a doc- corporal, but soon woman could wear loose clothing setts farmworker tor. Later, a doctor her disguise was and schoolteacher discovered her discovered and she and pretend she was a boy. One who loved adven- secret while treat- ran away. A few woman from Maine joined up with ture. In 1782, after ing her for a fever. months later, Bailey the last battle of the The army gave was captured her brother in 1775. She served war but while there Sampson an hon- and tried in court. until the war ended in 1781. In was still some fight- orable discharge in She was fined, 1776, an unidentified Cherokee ing, she joined the October 1783. sentenced to two months in jail, and woman was found dead on a battle- discharged from field. She wore face paint like male the army. Cherokee warriors did, and she r MILITIAS WERE had a bow and arrows. local fighting units. Some operated in l SALLY ST. CLAIR backwoods areas was part French away from large and part African. towns. Women Some say she who lived in these joined the army places were used in disguise to be to firing weapons near her boyfriend. to defend against Her identity was Native American five or six Loyalists not discovered attacks. Some put who attacked until she died at these skills to use her home while the British siege of against the enemy. her husband was Savannah, Georgia, Nancy Morgan Hart away. She shot two in 1778. of Wilkes County, and captured the Georgia, took on rest. volunteered to carry a message, know- ing that a woman 1777, he asked wouldn’t attract as her to get on a much attention as horse and call out a man. But just to his militiamen. be safe, she memo- They were needed rized the message to defend against before she hid it in a British attack u IN THE SUMMER her clothing. Sure near Danbury, of 1781, the com- enough, British sol- Connecticut. Sybil mander of the diers stopped her. rode her horse Continental Army in When they went about 40 miles to South Carolina was to get a woman u ANOTHER BRAVE remote farmhouses camped near the to search Emily, Patriot messenger to alert her father’s home of 16-year-old she ripped up the was also a teen- men that night. Emily Geiger. He message and swal- age girl. Sybil needed more troops, lowed the pieces. Ludington, 16, was but the nearest ones The British soon the daughter of a were far away. The let her go, and she New York militia countryside was full delivered the mes- commander. One of Loyalists. Emily sage aloud. rainy night in Revolutionary_Women_4-5.indd 2 3/7/17 2:39 PM 3 It required great courage for a woman to take an active part in the Patriot cause. What do you think made the women described on these pages so daring? What was more important to them than the dangers they faced? Revolutionary_Women_4-5.indd 3 3/7/17 2:39 PM 6 each day. Very little thrown out of camp was known about for offenses like preventing disease petty (minor) theft. Camp Followers at that time. Nurses Women sometimes risked catching any did dangerous jobs. Thousands of women followed diseases the sol- Sarah Osborn carried their husbands to battle. They diers had. food to men at the were known as camp followers. front during the Siege of Yorktown. When Some were looking for adven- d LIFE WAS HARD George Washington ture, and others wanted to be for camp followers. asked if she was with their loved ones. But most u SOME CAMP Diseases spread afraid of the cannon- followers worked as quickly through the balls, Osborn replied, became camp followers because they nurses in field hos- crowded camps. “It would not do for needed to survive. They were poor pitals. They were Lice, fleas, bedbugs, the men to fight and paid, but not much. and other pests starve, too.”* women who feared that they and their In those days, were a constant children would starve while their nursing was not a problem. Food skilled or respected was scarce (hard husbands were at war. Camp followers *Sarah Osborn. From American job. Nurses emp- to come by). Like Lives: An Anthology of were paid for their services as laundresses tied chamber pots, men, women could Autobiographical Writing, edited by Robert F. Sayre. University of and nurses. They also were fed. But wom- bathed and fed sick be whipped or Wisconsin Press, 1994. en got only half a soldier’s portion of food soldiers, and tried to keep hospital – or half rations – and children got only wards clean by quarter rations. sprinkling vinegar around many times Revolutionary_Women_6-7.indd 2 3/7/17 2:41 PM 7 d OFFICERS’ WIVES this by organiz- usually came to ing dances and visit their husbands card parties. Even only during winter Martha Washington camp, when the (below) joined army stayed in one her husband place. They knitted in winter quar- socks and sewed ters. On her first for the soldiers. visit, to Boston, she But their main task brought George’s was to keep up favorite jams and their husbands’ relishes and sev- spirits. They did eral cured hams. u GEORGE WASH- marched through ington was an Philadelphia in upper-class gentle- August 1777, he man. He was used ordered the camp u BRITISH TROOPS food. They were to women with followers to use also had their allowed to stay in good manners the backstreets.