Revolutionary Mothers Essay

Revolutionary Mothers Review Essay
Berkin, C. (2005). REVOLUTIONARY MOTHERS: Women in the Struggle for America's
Independence. Vintage Books. Book Review #1 By Tawnya Pluid Carol Berkin's "Revolutionary
Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence" is an excellent book that I
immensely enjoyed. When many people think of the Revolutionary War, they might imagine
George Washington gallantly leading his men through the winters at Valley Forge or the like.
Berkin begins her masterpiece by giving a general overview of the roll that women played in our
countries war for independence. Now I, like many others come to think of the iconic role model
women like Betsy Ross and the fabled Molly Pitcher, but this star of a book opened my eyes to the
everyday...show more content...
Not only does Berkin discuss the staunch patriot, on the side of righteousness but that of the
loyalist and African American or Native American. I would tend to think that the simple act of
the author discussing and telling histories on either side of the war only adds to the reliability of
the information in the book. Overall the information contained within the pages of this
spellbinding book present an eye opening historical section of our history. The information
presented by this respected historian appears on all accounts to be factual to the best of ability.
After reading "Revolutionary Mothers: Women in Struggle for America's Independence" I now
see the great importance that women played in the forming of this nation despite their lack of
rights, political and voting recognition during these times. Lastly, the readability of this book is
amazing. The information is presented well that is laid out in an organized manner. Due to the
many different aspects and sides to the women discussed in the book there are sections laid out
devoted to specific loyalties people and race. The tone of the book is pleasantly understood, so that
many people of many different education levels are able to appreciate the information presented by
Carol Berkin. The reader is immediately drawn in to the general overview located in the preface.
Further on in the book Berkin is able to personalize the information so that the
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Revolutionary Mothers Summary
In Revolutionary Mothers by Carol Berkin, Carol tries to make an argues that the revolution war
isn't just about the men, it's also about the women and their important roles that they had during
the war as well. Most history books don't talk about the roles that the women do during wars, it's
mostly just about the men and what is going on, or why it's happening. In this book she focuses
more on the women of that time to hear their side of the story. Carol first focuses on the important
roles women had in their society during the time period of 1600s and 1700s. The women made
sure to focus on making sure their household and families were in order and they would leave
knowledgeable issues and education to the men. Back then the women didn't have any rights and
where compassion to their husband, if they were married. If they weren't married then it would be
their father or other male who was relative. Women were considered as "helpmates" to their
husbands to make sure their family was successful. Helpmates is someone who helps the other
spouse with whatever they needed. By the...show more content...
There was a massive amount of goods and food shortage and the impacted affected everyone. The
men had to go fight in the war, which left the women back at home having to run a farm and
businesses all on their own just to protect their children. This was something that the women had
never done before. Fighting started to head into the villages where the women and kids would be
staying. Women were getting killed or raped because of the political views the family's held. Some
armies started to wipe out their crops and even their livestock's which left the families without food.
Sometimes the women would destroy their own land just so it wouldn't fall into the hands of the
enemy's. The war dragged on for about a decade, which made the wives face the loss of their
husband or even their own children in the

Analysis Of Revolutionary Mothers
Revolutionary Mothers Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence.
By Carol Berkin. 2005. P. 194. As we study the Revolutionary War we tend to think of the men that
revolted, fought, and petitioned, but have we ever thought about what the women did during the
war? In Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence, we get a
chance to see the women's side of the war and what they did during this troubling time. Carol Berkin
shows us what each race and class of women went through and their contributions during the war
with well researched information and her own techniques. Revolutionary Mothers is a historical
non–fiction book about the lives of women before, during, and after the...show more content...
The writing of Revolutionary Mothers requires many sources to help emphasize the importance of
its content, and Carol Berkin did just that. When reading Revolutionary Mothers you begin to see
quotes and references from many sources included in each chapter. The sources that Carol Berkin
used to write the book include journals, diaries, articles and newspapers, letters, and other books.
These sources are about both women in during the colonial and Revolutionary times and the
Revolutionary war in general. Carol Berkin did an exquisite job researching for her book, often
citing at least twelve reliable sources for each chapter. Though she used many sources for writing
her book, she did not use very many maps or pictures. She placed an illustration, depicting each
topic, at the beginning of every chapter, with no maps, pictures, or other illustrations. Although she
used few pictures or maps, she captured the reader's imagination by her depictive descriptions
making her book seem to be a short historical–fiction novel telling the journeys that different women
took in the Revolutionary War era, making it unnecessary to use abundance of pictures, maps, or
illustrations. Carol Berkin's experience of writing and knowledge of history show through writing in
Revolutionary Mothers. Berkin has been the author and editor of many

Carol Berkin Revolutionary Mothers Summary
The Author Carol Berkin wrote an absolutely wonderful book. Carol Berkin is a professor of
History at Baruch College and CUNY Graduate center. She is a specialist in women's history.
Berkin has also written several books over women's history. One of her books that she has written is
called, The Revolutionary Mothers: Women in Struggle for America's Independence. In this book
Berkin shows us how the woman back then played a vital role throughout the whole conflict;
showing how women were affected. And in the book it investigates that the woman during the
revolutionary war had many different diverse roles during the 8 year struggle for american
independence for women. The beginning of the book starts off with showing the readers the lives
...show more content...
The Indian woman Molly Brant lived the life of two different worlds. Molly was born a Mohawk
Indian and as she was ready for education her family sent her to a white school. Later on in her life
she then married a widower, Sir William Johnson who was a white man. Both Molly and Johnson
together were very powerful in political force. Then the American Revolution comes along and
destroys what Molly has worked hard on. The American Revolution tears apart and ends all of the
power that Molly's Iroquois kinsmen and women have built for almost two centuries. It then went
down from there. Molly is trying to reach to the Crowns to just to remain in peace once again.
Now since the American Revolution it was so difficult, because they judged the different colored
woman. The Americans did not want anything with any other colored people. The americans only
wanted whites and nothing else. For example, a man mentioned brown ladies because of there
good understanding and the "Americans could not reach an understanding with this particular
brown lady" (pg.112). Being a brown woman was very challenging and became unfair. Another
race issue in the American Revolution were the African Americans. Whether the Africans were
slave or free the woman really struggled to build and have a family. The free black women were not
able to even have a children or a

Carol Berkin's Revolutionary Mothers
Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence (2004) written by Carol
Berkin, the book is about the way the women were affected in the Revolutionary War from 1775 to
1783.
Carol Berkin is a professor at both Baruch College, and the Graduate Center of the City University
of New York, teaching American Colonial and Revolutionary History and also Women's History.
Berkin received her B.A. from Barnard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia
University. She is also the author of various books including First Generations: Women of Colonial
America (1996), A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution (2001), and Civil War
Wives: The Life and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant
(2009). Berkin's purpose in writing Revolutionary Mothers was to show how the women were
affected. She writes about Abigail Adams, Betsy Ross, and Molly Pitcher on how the women
struggled physically and mentally to survive during this war. Also how they struggle to be heard by
the men as they where just kept and forgotten in the background of this war, and not given into
perspective in what the had to say.
Some of Berkin's arguments were the way the women showed courage in the way they performed
during the Revolutionary War, the roles in women during the war, and also thewoman's roles...show
more content...
She writes how the housewives also served as " helpmates" to the men. If for any reason the men
were injured and could not perform in the Revolutionary War, these women were expected to "step
into their husbands' shoes" and "fulfill their obligations as helpmates" when needed to (11). That
brought out the physical strength, courage, mental toughness in the women as they were
"performing male duties, exhibiting masculine traits" (11). Through all this the "gender lines
remained intact" and women were still considered smaller than the

`` Revolutionary Mothers `` By Carol Berkin
"Revolutionary Mothers" is a book written by Carol Berkin in 2005. The book mainly focuses
women roles throughout the American Upheaval period. The purpose of writing this book was to
help the reader to not only understand these roles but also apprehend the social/cultural norms
throughout the struggle of America's Independence period (Berkin 11). Berkin begins with a brief
analysis of the cultural and social norms of women during the American Revolution era. Berkin then
examines the way this era helped to change many of those cultural and social norms. She focuses on
the way women engaged in diverse activities, which helped the war effort. She mentions a few of
contributions that women made towards the American Revolution war. The author...show more
content...
The book offer historical analysis of women's roles after the America revolution. The story sheds
light on an enthralling and unknown side of the struggle for freedom in America
(Kierner 653). The author mostly focuses on women and paints a gloomy version of their lives
before the Revolution War. The author presents a multi–faceted outlook of the women affected by
this war. However, the main reason behind writing this book was to reveal how each American, not
forgetting women, struggled towards America's Independence.
Although women suffered immensely during the Revolutionary War, they played significant roles
in the founding of the nation. Women played substantial roles of organizing for boycotts of
British commodities, managing family business while struggling to maintain a modicum of
routine work as husbands (Berkin 56). They also raised funds for the fledging nation. Some of the
women acted as surrogate spouses in the family while their men went to the battlefield to fight.
Berkin also reveals that women played significant roles in the war by leading in the battlefield
(67). In this case, both men and women lead and fought in the front lines. The narrative of
Margaret Corbin, who became a cripple for her entire life after she took her husband's place in the
battlefield, is a good example of how women participated in the war.
It is obvious that the author admires the revolutionary mothers because of their qualities such as

Women's Roles In The Revolutionary Mothers
The revolutionary Mothers a book that brings to light all the influence women had in achieving
American Revolution. The book helps us to appreciate women more than just as a helpmate but as
the invaluable ones that took care of the children while maintaining the family assets when the men
were fighting for the revolution. The women were able to achieve some vital economic and
political roles by petitioning, raising funds and boycotting trades. Some of the women were
courageous enough to work as spies while some care for men in the army. Before the American
Revolution, women were not a part of politic mostly because they were uneducated. The family
finance depended mostly on the men. The women were the ones who stayed home and took care
...show more content...
In many tribes, the women had power through the matrifocal, matrilineal culture of their tribes.
Women dominated agriculture, they could select the chief, or even vote in tribal meetings. Sir
William Johnson and his wife Molly Brant tried to live in harmony with both the Native Americans
and the colonists. They helped motivate the Native Americans to fight for the King. Other influential
woman leaders included Nanyehi, or Queen Esther Montour.
Berkin Portarys the African–American women focused on freedom and tried to decide which side
would most advance their cause. This was not an effective strategy because neither King nor
Congress treated them well, nor kept vague promises of freedom for support. Those who fled the
country found racism followed them to Canada. The British finally issued certificates of
manumission to a thousand former slaves for their part in supporting the Loyalist cause, but some
would later lose their freedom again. Few blacks fared well during or after the

Summary Of Revolutionary Mothers By Carol Berkin
Date: Book Review: Revolutionary Mothers 1. Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for
Independence, written by Carol Berkin, Copyright © American Library Association, Publisher:
Vintage; Reprint edition (February 14, 2006) 2. Carol Berkin outlines multi–faceted opinions of
women who impacted, and were impacted by the Revolutionary War. Steering clear of the stories of
common patriot women, the author identifies a number of avenues through which she analyzes the
era. Berkin chooses to portray the Revolutionary War via the lenses of a loyalist and patriot,
American and British, wealthy and poor, and African American and Indian women. Consequently,
she lenders readers with the opportunity to look at the war not as good versus evil, white...show more
content...
Berki's organization design for the book is specifically helpful for the intended audience as it
introduces thoroughness and accuracy. She demarcates the multi–faceted viewpoints of war and
assigns a chapter to a certain group. This helps understand that the individual differences of
women did not play any role in their struggle, but rather what mattered was the inner strength. 6.
Berkin being a PhD. holder from Columbia University and Professor of History, her academic
success helps the reader gain confidence in her argument. Moreover, she has taken part in writing
several dissertations, some of which have earned her prestigious awards, in addition to her active
role in shooting documentaries gives her immense experience in writing informative pieces of
work. 7. In a slim, but deftly implemented book, Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 8 inches and
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces, Berkin has started a good race on what could turn out to be a long
history. The layout of the book helps make it an easy

"Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence" is neither a romantic
tale nor an attempt to revise traditional history by making women the pivotal players in war for
independence. It does not tell one woman's story, but many, and not all of those stories end in
victory or triumph. The book examines a revolution, or war, that is blurred between the battlefield
and the home front. It views the struggle of war through the eyes of women who found themselves
willingly and unwillingly, at the center of a prolonged violent conflict.
Carol Berkin is a professor of American History at Baruch College and the Graduate Center of the
City University of New York. She is also the author of A Brilliant Storm: Inventing the American
Constitution, First Generations, and Jonathan Sewall. Berkin is an expert on women's history in
colonial America and has worked as a consultant on many PBS and Historical Documentations. She
currently serves on the Board of The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Board of
the National Council for History Education.
Those who appreciate learning about America's History would be intrigued to read this book.
However, there is twist to Carol Berkin 's theme of writing. Her outlook of the American Revolution
is portrayed throughout the book as intentionally centering on women 's importance during wartime
affairs. The huge number of references, sources, and documents makes the book rich and lively.
Even when the women are

During the American Revolution, men were often thought to have been the only ones to fight and
participate in the war. While men were the majority that fought in the actual war, women were left to
tend to all of the duties left by men, as well as, their own duties. Women were the backbone of towns,
farms, and other businesses during the war. The book, Revolutionary Mothers by Carol Berkin,
shares the stories of what women went through during the Revolutionary War. Carol Berkin writes
about what all the women, no matter what race or political beliefs, went through during the war, and
how these women handled the war. The book, Revolutionary Mothers, tells of the hardships women
of the revolution had to go through in order for life to go on. The book tells of what Patriot, Loyalist,
Native American, African American, and American women went through while the men fought. It
tells you about what happened when the British invaded the farms and houses of the Americans, and
what happened to women. The author describes the stories of women whose husbands fought on the
Patriots side, and the husbands who fought for the Loyalists side. Also, it shows you how the roles
of the women in society changed throughout from an obedient housewife to protector of the family.
While this book can be read by anyone wanting to learn about history, feminists would be the people
most interested in reading, Revolutionary Mothers. Feminists would be deeply interested in this
book because it tells you

Revolutionary Mothers Essay
US History I HH
September 9, 2010
As the saying goes, "a woman's work is never done," but today's women live a far different life than
their predecessors. The women of the revolution were courageous and brave–hearted. The obstacles
of their time were far more difficult to overcome than those faced by women in this day and age.
Whether it was slavery, war, or racial prejudice, these women kept their heads held high and
worked to break down these barriers and create change for the future. On top of having to deal with
these hardships, the women of the revolution had families to take care of, mouths to feed, houses to
clean, and wounds to heal. For many women of the revolution it was all about taking a stand for
their rights and being...show more content...
Both men and women were affected by it, but women were the main targets because they were
thought to be feeble and vulnerable. African–Americans as well as Native Americans were affected
by this discrimination. People could purchase the Native– and African–Americans and treat them
however they wished without being reprimanded or punished. More and more people began to
follow in these people's footsteps and purchase slaves as well. African Americans had a rough life
during the revolution. Mary Postill is a prime example of the hardships that an African American
slave had to go through. After she fled to Charleston, the military gave her a certificate of
freedom. At the time, the military was controlled by the British. A loyalist who claimed freed
blacks wrongly then took control of Mary and her family and made them his slaves so they could
no longer be free. Gray brought Mary to court when she attempted to flee. She swore that she was
free, but Gray, being that he was an esteemed white man, won the case. He then sold Mary and
her family down the river for a hundred bushels of potatoes. This was her punishment for trying to
escape him. The owners of slaves usually made their workers do the most tedious and tiresome
work such as helping with the rice production. They were not well fed and they were not given
enough supplies to make their own clothing. The slaves were also physically and mentally abused.
Carol Berkin states in chapter 8 of

Revolutionary Mothers, Women in the struggle for independence explores a complex sight of the
women who were affected by the revolutionary war. Berkin, the author of the Revolutionary
Mothers enlightens the war with different perspectives of different type of women that includes
American, British, African American and Indian. Berkin, furthered divided the category into rich,
poor, loyalist, and patriot. Revolutionary Mothers demonstrates how the lives of women come
into play during the Revolutionary War. The women throughout the book both influenced the war
and are influenced by it. Carol Berkin has discussed into detail several different women's lives
and makes clear some of the obstacles that women face. She shows that men were not the only
key characters in the war. She also does not focus mainly on colonial women, but also Native
American women as well to show how they were affected too. Her use of sources such as books
and diaries are ways that she is able to back up the information that she is giving. Without women
there would have been completely different stories to tell about history. The book tries to open the
readers' eyes to these truths. Crucial to the book, Berkin doesn't only focus on the times that the
Revolutionary War took place;...show more content...
Berkin is showing that women didn't just sit around at home while the men were out fighting some
war in a field. She is showing that while many of the soldiers were dying and getting injured
women had problems as well. Women had to face loneness, rape, British looting their homes, deaths,
and managing more chores around the house since the men were away. Some women even fought
in the war whether beside their husband or by themselves out in the field. At no point does she
degrade the acts of men, but she shows that women had hard times in wars as well. Some women
began taking on the name 'camp follower' because they usually lost their homes due to the

Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for Independence, is a book written by Carol
Berkin. It was published in 2005. This book is about women who were affected by, the
Revolutionary War, and the lack of rights these women had. This book takes you on a historic
journey through the eyes of the women during the Revolutionary War. The author does this by using
a series of point of views through which she explains the time period of the war. She shows the war
through the eyes of patriot and loyalist, rich and poor, American and British, Indian and African
American women. I think she those this so the person reading it can gain a better understanding. The
author seems to admire the women about who she writes, for things like physical strength,...show
more content...
After reading "Revolutionary Mothers" by Carol Berkin now I have a better understanding on
Women in the past. Although women were thought out to be less then men, after reading the book it
does not seem that way, in fact women tried to fight for there equal rights. I would recommend this
book to anyone that is interested in learning the struggle these women had and how they overcame
their troubles. Certainly students in History courses should consider reading this book, especially for
the point of views that the book presents. This book achieved is goal in the sense of showing and
explaining in detail, the struggle of the "Revolutionary Mothers" this had never before been
explained in another book that shows the point of view of the women. One important thing that this
book has taught me is that men were not the only ones who fought in the war. Although they were
not in the front lines of combat, instead they were at home organizing boycotts of British goods,
raising funds for the fledgling nation, and managing the family business while struggling to maintain
as husbands, brothers and fathers

Revolutionary Mothers By Carol Berkin
Revolutionary Mothers
The American Revolution is arguably the most important battle that we as a country have ever taken
on. Through this war, we grew together as a country and as Americans. This country was founded
through the help of thousands of people of different races and gender. In the novel Revolutionary
Mothers by Carol Berkin, the author discusses the role of women and how their various
accomplishments are often looked over in the history books. Through the progression of the novel,
Berkin details various events that highlight women's efforts through the course of the revolutionary
war. The contributions of women were necessary and helped weave the fabric that is our country.
The American Revolution occurred for various reasons. One of the main reasons it began was
because of the taxation of various goods coming in and out of the country. Many, if not all, colonists
opposed these taxes imposed by Britain, which led to rebellions and boycotts throughout the
colonies. American women were some of the first protesters because of the fact that they consumed
many goods. For example, the boycott of the Stamp Act directly affected women. Berkin discusses
how many brides declined marriage proposals from their fiancГ©s who stamped their marriage
license. This shows how devoted women were to give up marriage in order to protest the tax that
they vehemently disagreed with.
Throughout the many years of the revolution, most husbands and sons were off fighting the war

Revolutionary Mothers
Berkin, Carol Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence Knopp,
Alfred A.: Random House Pp. 194 In Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's
Independence the author, Carol Berken, revisits the Revolutionary War exploring the many diverse
roles that the women of all ethnicities, cultures, and classes were called upon to assume during the
eight year struggle for independence. Most often when we address the Revolution the focus is on
the notable men of the era such as George Washington, Paul Revere, John Adams, and Patrick
Henry; or on strategic battles like Valley Forge; or the other famous events such as the Boston Tea
Party that resulted from Parliaments' effort to gain revenue from...show more content...
Throughout Revolutionary Mothers one is reminded of just how the war transformed the role of
women transcending them through the limitations that had always defined them. From the first
significant role women had in politics which was not in the colonial assemblies but was expressed
with their power to say "no" which ensured the success of the boycotts that resulted from the
American Revenue Act and the Stamp Act of

"Revolutionary Mothers Women in the Struggle for America's Independence," is a book written by
Carol Berkin. In this writing, Berkin goes into detail on the important role women of the
1600s–1700s took place during the Home Front War. Berkin argues that it wasn't just the men who
fought for independence, but women fought for freedom as well. The book describes the roles that
different women faced, the challenges women faced, and women's capabilities during the war. Again
stated, the book demonstrates the roles that different women faced during the Home Front War. In
Chapter 1, Berkin describes the role of "colonial women" (page 5). She explains that these women
were to be companions for their husbands. For example, John Winthrop, the first governor of
Massachusetts believed that his wife's job was to attend "her household affairs...show more content...
In Chapter 3, Berkin explains some challenges that women faced. She explains that during this
time, "war would bring problems of inflation, scarcity, and the threat of physical violence" (page
27). Women had to take charge of family businesses and for their kids since they were left alone
by their husbands during the war. In Chapter 7, Berkin writes about the challenges that Native
American women faced. The Native Americans wanted to conserve their way of life, and to do so
they "believed that an alliance with the British" was the best thing to do (page 107). Because the
British were defeated, the Native American way of life turned out to be the resemblance of the
American way of life. In Chapter 8, Berkin describes the troubles that African American women
faced. African American women had the "dream of freedom" so they joined the British army in
hopes that they would gain their independence as well (page 120). Conditions worsened for these
women for most of them were still slaves. The book demonstrates the challenges that women faced
during the

Carol Berkin Essay: Revolutionary Mothers
"There is no Sex in soul"
Essay on Carol Berkin's Revolutionary Mothers Women in the Struggle for America's Independence
Jill Martinez
HIST 516: American Revolution and Federalist Era
November 7, 2014
Adams State University
Carol Berkin clearly states her thesis in the introduction of Revolutionary Mothers. "Despite the
absence of radical changes in gender ideology and gender roles for most women, the Revolution did
lend legitimacy to new ideas about women's capacities and their proper roles". (Berkin 2005) In
two thousand and fourteen it is questionable about how clearly women's roles have changed
especially in the areas of economics and politics at least it is obvious that the revolution did not
bring equality....show more content...
"Catherine Schuyler, wife of the American general Philip Schuyler, tossed flaming torches on her
fields of wheat rather than see it used to feed General John Burgoyne's invading army." (ibid, 41)
Still primal motivations of survival and self interst would dominate motivation. "The whole world
appeared to me as a theatre, where nothing was acted buy cruelty, bloodshed, and oppression;
where neither age nor sex escaped the horrors of injustice and violence; where lives and property
of the innocent and inoffensive were in continual danger, and the lawless power ranged at large."
(idib, 36) Survival motivated. Whether refering to camp followers or Generals wives, self interest
moved human action. The Baroness von Riedessel, Martha Washington, or Caty Greene were all
tied to their husbands and their success. Their decision to follow their husbands and face the
challenges facing soldiers on the front lines with a definite grace related to their own futures and
status as much as their husbands and each of these women would have known that fact. Surely
loyality and affection played a role in their behavior, but not necessarily many more that self interest.
Nathaneal Greene instructs his wife on her options during his absence, "She chose neither of his
suggestions." (ibid, 78) Instead she made her own choice on her own interest.
Self

Revolutionary Mothers Analysis
Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence, retells the story of
women's role in establishing a new nation through the words and actions of individual women.
However, not all of these stories end in triumph. Rather, the book highlights the struggles women
had to overcome despite their willingness. Berkin tells the stories through the eyes of the women
who found themselves in the middle of a prolonging conflict. Today, Carol Berkin is a
Presidential Professor at Baruch College and teaches early American and women's history.
Revolutionary Mothers is only one example of the collection of books Berkin has published,
including Women of Colonial America, Odyssey of an American Loyalist, and Civil War Wives:
The Life and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant. Along
with these achievements, she also has been involved with numerous PBS documentaries
containing "Scottsboro Boys," which was nominated as the best documentary in 2000 for an
Academy Award. Those who are particularly intrigued by the women involved in American history
are ones to whom this book appeals. Her book attracts the readers who are interested in hearing the
American Revolution from the women's perspective. Also, Berkin separates each chapter into its
own group of women affected by war. By doing so, this makes it easier for readers to comprehend
her ideas. Therefore, this book can be targeted towards young adults because of the way this book is

Revolutionary Mothers By Carol Berkin Summary
Revolutionary Mothers Monograph
Everyone has heard of the American Revolution or the Revolutionary War. The war that astonished
mankind in the fight for Independence. This unforgettable war was fought in the year of 1775 and
ended in 1783. This war brought confusion and chaos and we praised our first–hand soldiers but
forgot about the women who also fought mentally and courageously. In a book written by Carol
Berkin called, "Revolutionary Mothers," she acknowledges the women for their drudgery during the
war and explained the roles they took on in place of their fighting men. She also examines examples
of the hardships these women went through during and after the war by giving insight into their lives
separately.
Many people think women were only...show more content...
Cleaning, cooking and worshipping would be a few of the little jobs that can be performed by a
woman. Not only would women be doing these things, but in the past it was very difficult for a
woman to have a real job. It was the husband who had to bring home the money and the wife, who
had to get groceries, cook and clean for her husband and their children. "This debate over women's
capacities was theoretical, of course, and few colonists, male or female, had the time or
inclination to engage in it" (pg. 4). The funny thing about this is that it has not changed and some
women still think they are supposed to do these frail actions while some take further steps into
life. But however this plays out, I believe some women worked as hard as the men during the time
of war. "As their men went off to war, these women took on the task of managing shops and farms
in addition to caring for large families and coping with shortages of food and supplies...many spoke
with satisfaction about how well they had adapted to new roles"(Making America: pg. 156). So
what exactly was the role of women in the

Revolutionary Mothers Chapter Summary
Revolutionary Mothers Book Review Revolutionary Mothers. By Carol Berkin. 2005. P.194 The
book Revolutionary Mothers, by Carol Berkin is a truth telling and eye opening experience for
the reader that shows how the fight for America's independence affected the role of women. The
book reveals the unknown side of women during young America's first major war, the
Revolutionary War. It portrays the very important role women played during war despite the fact
that war brought scarcity, bloodshed, and danger into their lives. Women's lives changed
drastically during this time period. Many women would have to take over their husband's normal
work, such as running the family business, farm, or plantation. Women would often open their
homes to soldiers allowing them to sleep in separate rooms or beds. They would also take in the
wounded and help aid them back to health. Homes would also be raided by the British, taking and
doing whatever they pleased, during this event women would try to hide themselves and their
children to ensure their safety. The woman had to cope with the hard truth that they may never see
their husband again after the Revolution. Some women would go to war supporting their husbands
becoming what was known as a camp follower. Not all camp followers were soldiers' wives. The
role of camp followers included cooking, washing, sewing, finding supplies, and nursing soldiers in
need. Some very brave women even participated in war first hand on the front lines. These

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