Discuss Women's Contribution to the American Revolution and the War's Impact on Eomen - Term Paper Example

To begin with, there are those who assisted the soldiers on the war front with basic necessities such as water and food , which was essential as it ensured that the soldiers were well taken care of thereby enabling them to concentrate on their military duties. These women were known as camp followers as they lived in military camps and moved alongside the soldiers whenever there was need to shift camps. Majority of these women were largely soldiers’ wives and daughters. Apart from provision of water and food on the frontline, these women also conducted other domestic chores such as cleaning the camps, mending torn clothes, washing military uniforms among other numerous activities such as taking care of children in the absence of their husbands.

They were not enlisted in the military and therefore, they were not required to handle guns or engage in battles with the enemy (Micklos 18). However, there are women, who are highly recognized for their bravery and disregard for the norm. These included for example; Margaret Corbin, who is also referred to as Captain Molly. Margaret stood out as a woman of strong character and a brave one as such, especially due to her outstanding performance in the battle. She was the wife of an American soldier, John Corbin, whom she was fighting alongside on the fateful day of 16 November 1776.

On this day, John, Margaret and approximately 600 other American soldiers were attacked by a battalion of British supported soldiers, in Fort Washington, which comprised of more than 3000 men (Micklos 28). Margaret, was a trained matross, just like her husband, and it is due to this that she was highly respected by John’s comrades. As the fighting was going on, John got injured leading to his temporary incapacitation. On seeing this, Margaret, instead of retreating, decided to take john’s position and continued to fire at the hostile soldiers but she eventually got injured in the process.

Even though the British soldiers won the battle at the end of that day, leading to her capture and that of her compatriots, Margaret continues to be remembered by the society as a true warrior. Indeed, she is remembered as the first woman in the US history to receive pension for her active role in the revolution (Ellet 25). Mary Ludwig Hays, also known as Molly Pitcher, is also another woman, who is recognized for her heroic deeds in the revolutionary war. Mary was also married to a soldier, William Hays, who served in the continental army during the war.

Just like Margaret Corbin, Mary’s main roles were to supply the army with water alongside other domestic responsibilities but on June 28, 1778, she defied the odds by engaging the enemy directly using her husband’s canon (Ellet 51). On that fateful day, she was coming from the spring, where she sourced her water, and upon nearing where her husband was positioned, she suffered the rude shock of seeing him get shot after which he collapsed on the ground. Without much wastage of time, Mary splinted towards where her husband was and took over his position, which was to load the canons.

Various texts indicate that she missed death by a whisker when a device exploded between her legs tearing apart her dress after which she exclaimed, “