Conclusion

Women’s contributions to the American revolution are a mix of what we recognize as formal political involvement and politically motivated labor. Amongst the formal contributions are organizations such as the Daughters of Liberty, the signing of the agreements like the one that took place at Endenton, and the publication of broadsheets and poems to urge people to political action. However, the labor that women contributed was just as, if not more important.  Without the uniforms and blankets made of homespun cloth we might have lost even more soldiers at valley forge. Without the labor of the women who followed their husbands and fathers to war we would have lost countless more soldiers to disease and starvation. While spinning cloth, being a camp follower or making your own tea might not seem inherently political, it was the motivation behind these acts that took them out of the realm of everyday labor and into the political sphere. Therefore, while these actions are typically overlooked as political, they should be included in the political landscape of the time, proving that women’s political activity was vital to the war effort.