Often when people reflect on notable wars, they focus on men and their efforts on the front lines. It is important to not only understand the contributions that men made, but how women helped aid in important victories as well.
Women’s contributions are not written in most history books or talked about in schools, which contributes to a lack of knowledge throughout the general public. This exhibit holds significance as it uncovers and highlights the efforts women gave during this period in order to establish victory for America. Not only will this educate the general public, but it will be especially important for women to see that the efforts of their predecessors were not overlooked. A scholar by the name of Sheila Skemp talks in depth about rewriting the narrative of women’s efforts in the war, saying “women played active, even essential roles… they shouldered burdens of their absent husbands.”1
Throughout my exhibit, I want to prove that women had an integral part in the victory of the American Revolution, but were not appropriately recognized for their contributions behind the scenes. Women made their impact on the war by serving as undercover soldiers and spies, aiding with medical practices, and serving as a media outlet through their written reports. These efforts through different mediums go to show that women had a major role in the Revolutionary war.
1 Sheila L. Skemp, “Women and Politics in the Era of the American Revolution,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History, June 9, 2016, https://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-216?mediaType=Article.
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Abby McCarty