The Different Roles That Women Inhabited
Women today have many different jobs in our society. For example, nurses, farmers, or managers are common roles that women inhabit. However, this wasn't always the case. Before the Civil War women mainly served one role. Wives were the 'Home Makers'. Their job was to take care of their husband and children. They cooked meals and had them ready when their husbands returned home. Laundry, dishes, and sewing were also some of their everyday tasks. However, this all changed during the Civil War. Once the men went off to war the women had to step into the roles that were left vacant by their fathers, husbands, and sons. Some women went to help as nurses on the battle field. Others, mostly the wives or daughters of poor southern farmers, took on the tasks of planting, farming, and harvesting their land. All of these and many more are jobs that were thrust upon women during the American Civil War.
"Women of the War: their heroism and self-sacrifice"
Written by Frank Moore this book is a collection of the stories of many different women during the war. Women who "went down into the very edge of the fight, to rescue the wounded, and cheer and comfort the dying with gentle ministrations; who labored in the field and city hospitals, and on the dreadful hospital-boats, where the severly wounde were recieved; who penetrated the lines of the enemy on dangerous missions."
"A Southern Woman's Heroism"
In the book Confederate Veteran there is a story called "A Southern Woman's Heroism". It talks about the heroism of Elizabeth Temms, wife to a Georgian soldier. She had fearlessly gave out clothes and food to the Southern soldiers. It states in the text that "often she and her childeren ate less that the hungry soldiers might be fed" (Temms, 445).
"The Women of The Confederacy"
In chapter 6 of The Women of the Confederacy there are several instances of different heroic actions that women are credited with during the civil war. The chapter opens explaining that, "there were, however, certain phases of the activity of the women of the Confederacy, in playing their part in sustaining the causes for which the men of the South were fighting, which may be truly characterized as heroic."