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The Transdence Of Women In American Culture

The role of women in society has always been an issue throughout the ages and throughout Western Europe, and more or less all over the world. Before the age of the Enlightenment, or the Dark Ages, women were always seen as secondary to men in all aspects. Most reasons were religious while others were just the way life was then. Many changes occurred during the Enlightenment period of the late eighteenth century. For instance, during the eighteenth century, married women's lives revolved to a large extent around managing the household, a role which in many cases included partnership in running farms or home businesses.

The defiance of English rule and the onset of the war disrupted the usual patterns of life and how women responded to the events surrounding them. While the essential role of most women continued to be managing all aspects of their households, doing so took on political overtones. The commitment of the women was critical to maintaining the tea boycott and the decision to boycott British goods caused home manufacturing to become both a statement of defiance and a necessity. Even those women whose social standing afforded increased leisure took up spinning and other activities to replace imported goods. War, when it came, touched everyone; resources were scarce leading to high inflation. Invading troops destroyed farms and homes, and the absence of husbands and fathers left some in danger of starvation. Some women were able to continue to manage their homes, farms and shops but others were unable to survive on their own and were forced to abandon their homes and follow their husbands with the army.

Women who traveled with the army were known as camp followers and did so for many reasons, such as inability to provide for themselves at home, fear of attack, desires to be with their husbands, and more specifically the attraction of a paying job. Well over 20,000 women followed one army or another and transformed camps into small towns. Women...