Blacks and Women in the Revolutionary War essays

Blacks and Women in the Revolutionary War essays The American Revolution was a time when America would transform from an extension of Britain into a new and independent nation. Although the Revolution gave way to new freedom and government, the rights of many groups were ignored during this period of time. The Declaration of Independence claimed to give liberty and justice to all Americans, but not everyone received these freedoms. The Revolutionary War would create opportunities for many minorities whose liberties were often taken advantage, and also allow these groups to develop themselves socially as well as politically. Two groups who would undergo drastic change as a result of the war were women and African Americans. Through the course of the American revolution, people began to look at women and African Americans in a different way than they had before. The reforms that were a result of the Revolutionary War gave new freedoms to many living in America, however, women were not fully encompassed in these reforms. Life in revolutionary America, for most women, meant staying in the home and playing a supporting role to their husbands, brothers, and even sons. Colonial women were subject to long hours of ironing, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and knitting all for the benefit of their husband and families. Under American and English law, women were virtually always the property of another man. Until a women turned 21, they were under legal control of their father, and upon marriage, under control of her husband. This meant that women were not only ignored as individuals with opinions and beliefs, but they did not have the right to own property. In colonial times, women invariably had no say in any matter of politics, but when the Revolutionary War began women began to engage themselves in political debate. This was mostly upper-class, educated women, and their opinions were sometimes even featured in newspapers. The major difference from colonial times to life during ...