Daughters of Liberty: The Feminine Grit in the American Revolution - Research Paper Example

? Daughters of Liberty: The Feminine Grit in the American Revolution Peter J. Olynick 4049120 due: October 14, Deborah L. Bauer HIST 402 Colonial America Daughters of Liberty: The Feminine Grit in the American Revolution European countries, especially Britain, have colonized many nations in the world, including America, in the quest to establish their empires. They have travelled all over the globe, discovering new lands and territories and colonizing those regions by subjugating the inhabitants. Such invasions, apart from the objectives of building up empires, also have been designed with an agenda of exploiting the natural resources of these regions as well as for slave trading. Besides, the spreading of religion was another motivation behind colonization. On the other hand, the Native Americans have remained loyal to the British imperialists for “156 years after the settlement of Jamestown in 1607” supporting the English people fight many wars.1 However, many of the policies of the British Empire were so stringent and intolerable, which made the Americans to revolt against them. The most significant of the causes that triggered the revolution is the imposition of “new taxes and restrictions” by the English authorities on “colonial manufacturers and commerce.”2 Legalization of the Catholic Church, transplanting of the French with the Catholic Spaniards and their banning of American flatboats as well as the threat to close New Orleans Port, etc., also forced the Americans to embark on the path agitation. The American women, with their grit and selfless dedication, have played a major role in the revolt against British Imperialism and helped the country in winning its freedom through their sacrifices. The spirit of freedom of the Americans makes them still remember with veneration the sacrifices of the men and women whose unrelenting determination and constant struggle have fetched them independence. These men and women have helped Americans to know the value of freedom and to transform the “bloodshed, division and violence” of the war and its ravages to “symbols of unity and cohesion.”3 Thus, the spirit of freedom that Americans celebrate today is the legacy of the men and women who have struggled and died for the American Independence. Women, though considered as lower in patriarchal societies, have always played a key role in the development of nations and evolving the history and cultures of countries. Similarly, in the Colonial America also women had a key role to play, not only in terms of tending to the families but also in the context of their involvement in national movements, culture, arts and literature. Mary Washington was one of the prominent women who made significant legacies to the cause of American Revolution. George Washington, her son and one of the most prominent leaders of America always emphasized that he “owed everything to his mother – in the education and habits of his early life.”4 Here, it becomes relevant that significant contribution from women towards any particular cause derives not merely from their participation in that event but through facilitating the grooming of the next generation to take up the mission and sustain its spirit in the future. Mary, who lost her husband early in life, had to fend for her children, with very limited economical sources. Despite this, she brought up her son, imbibing in him the right values and morals that enabled him to be the leader of such a nation and his ultimate elevation as its chief executive. Esther Reed is another woman who contributed immensely to the cause of American Revolution, despite her being a London born British national of French origin. During the Lexington and Bunker’s Hill episodes, she helped by channeling funds through her own agency for “relief of the sufferers in New England.”5 However, after she became a mother and her husband joined the revolutionary soldiers, her life endured many a turmoil. While her husband toiled in the “scenes of bloody peril,” the circumstances compelled her to seek “refuge in a wilderness.”6 In Esther’s case, there was a unique dilemma. On the one hand, she must owe allegiance to her motherland Britain, and on the other hand, she must be loyal to her husband and the country of her residence. She chose the latter, and thus became a “fugitive from the brutality” of the soldiers of her own country.7 A wife’s relentless support is one element that propels forth a husband engaged in a duty for his country, and the unflinching loyalty and grit that Esther manifested “sustained” her husband “to the end” in his fight for his nation’s freedom.8 Mary Draper is yet another woman, whose contribution to the revolution, though brief, has been highly valuable and profound. In the aftermath of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the revolutionaries confronted the problem of an acute shortage of ammunition. Therefore, they requested the people of Massachusetts to garner “every ounce of lead or pewter at their disposal.”9 During those times, pewter was a highly valuable metal but the “call reached her heart” and Draper contributed her husband’s bullet casting mold, plates, pans and other dishes to “her suffering country.”10 Such contributions may perhaps seem insignificant to a modern person, but when one considers the situation of the times and the dearth of resources for the hard pressed revolutionaries, it will become evident that in the absence of such selfless contributions, freedom would have remained a far cry. Deborah Sampson Garret could be perceived as another example of feminine grit, which compares to “Joan of Arc,” in view of her display of extraordinary selflessness in supporting the American Revolution. Hailing from a lowly background, she did not have proper education but she subsequently educated herself and the echoes of the fight for freedom resonated in her heart also. Thus, she was determined that she would not shrink from the “effort or sacrifice in the cause” of the American freedom.11 She went all out to help the army with whatever she could do and her only regret was that she could not fight like a man and die for her country. Thus, driven by this zest for serving the cause of freedom, she disguised as a man and enlisted her services for the whole duration of the war. Later, wounded twice in action, she landed up in a hospital and, finally her identity was revealed. She was discharged from the army. However, her contribution to the freedom fight is beyond compare. Also, she could be perceived as one of the pioneers of the concept of feminine equality because of the grit of her character that enabled her not only to get enlisted in the force but also to fight like a man. Women’s legacy in American independence does not merely confine to the aspects of tending homes, gathering and sending resources for the soldiers, or donning uniforms and fighting like men, but also traverses to areas like art and literature to communicate their feelings and emotions across and inspire people. A great model of this could be evidenced in Mercy Warren, who published the play titled Adulateur, which exposed the British soldiers as “foolish and violent” while portraying the natives as “intelligent and bold.”12 Thus, Mercy Warren’s play has exercised a great influence of the Americans to “think about the issues of the day.”13 Artistic works like this will not only educate the people about the atrocities that the colonizers mete out to the natives but also will awaken the spirit of patriotism in them and inspire them to stand up together against foreign powers that divest their country of their resources and still treat them as second class citizens. The role of females in the American Revolution can also be seen from the perspectives of a spiritual jolting that compelled the resilient masses to wake up to the reality of exploitation, recognize their rights and to fight for it. Research evidence suggests that there has been a “mass political mobilization” that made the revolution a success and women have played a crucial role in this process through their involvement in churches, markets as well as their families, which made it possible for involving such a large scale of people.14 Also, in order to gain recognition of the movement women also called themselves “The Daughter of Liberty,” which evoked a sense of patriotism and loyalty for the nation in others, thus they have been able to garner mass support.15 Thus, women have played a key role in American Revolution not only by their participation but by actively enlisting the support of others and also motivating people to join the movement. Today’s women, when they fight over issues like feminine rights and equality, have to recognize the sacrifices their foremothers have done for them, which enable them to be independent and possess the right of free expression. One main factor that becomes relevant in the present circumstances is that all those women of grit have always stood by their men, keeping the ideal of family intact and relationships intense. Despite their struggle and difficulties they have cared for their children and endeavored to offer them the best, as a result of which the country prevails in its present status as a super power in the world. The people in the present day also have to recognize the transformation of American women as a result of the evolution of the concepts of freedom and equality. Human society, in all the civilizations across the world, has slanted towards a patriarchal system of hierarchy where the males dominated as the head of families. Customs, which the modern civilization may conceive as barbarian, such as “self divorce” as a form of “wife sale,” have prevailed in the American society.16 The radical change, from such uncouth practices to the present situation where women have the right for self expression and parity with men in all walks of life, has become possible because of the relentless fights of many women and men against the social evils. Freedom is a basic human right and when a foreign country invades one’s nation, it is the primary duty of people to resist. Caring for the unity and solidarity of a nation is every individual’s responsibility. The American Revolution is a saga of a fight of its people for their independence from the British regime. Many people have sacrificed their lives for this noble cause, due to which America has become a free country and attained its current status as one of the super powers in the world. While it is men’s duty to fight battles and win wars, women also contribute greatly to such causes. In the case of this country also the story is not different. The American women, with their grit and will power, not only supported their men by looking after the family when they were away fighting the war for their country, but many of them also fought battles in many ways. Besides, women rendered soldiers full support in all the ways they can and helped them win the war. Women also have made their contribution to literature and other art forms, which facilitated awareness in people to understand their rights and this made them stand up and ask questions when such rights were denied. Thus, women have contributed significantly to the American Revolution and without their sacrifices the country could not have attained its current envious position. Bibliography Ellet, Elizabeth Fries. Women of the American Revolution. Vol.2. 3rd Edn. Apple Woods Books: Bedford Massachusetts. New York, 1849. Ellet, Elizabeth Fries. Revolutionary Women in the War for American Independence. United States of America: Praeger Publishers, 1998. Gundersen, Joan R. To Be Useful to the World. The University of North Carolina Press, 2006. Hall, Brianna. Great Women of the American Revolution. Capstone Press, n.d. Lyons, Clare A. Sex among the Rabble. The University of North Carolina Press, 2006. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=aLeWfe-oamcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Women+American+Revolution+1775+pdf&source=bl&ots=o7bTR2o4vu&sig=lQjcrqFFVVGejGojyeCtfGlnpYg&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false Purcell, Sarah J. Sealed with Blood. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=V9iDHSmSgboC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Women+American+Revolution+1775+pdf&source=bl&ots=gFx6ETs8k0&sig=OuP0m-uJhZiWOagxxZVKVIUndjY&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false Mc Dougall, Walter A. The Colonial Origins of American Identity. Elsevier Limited: Foreign Policy Research Institute. 2004, p.11. http://www.fpri.org/orbis/4901/mcdougall.colonialoriginsamericanidentity.pdf Read More