Combat Woman of The Civil War

Some of the greatest warriors in the civil war that are often forgotten about are the women who enlisted in the Union and the Confederate armies; both the Union and Confederates armies forbade woman from joining. Some of these woman joined to remain with their husbands and boyfriends. It is estimated that between 400 to 1000 woman enlisted in the armies in the Civil War.   These women cut their hair short, wore pants and shirts, and learned to swear and walk like men. A lack of facial hair might have been a hard thing to overlook but there were numerous underage boys in the military made it easier for females with boyish voices and little facial hair to go undetected.

When the war first began most of the women enlisted in order to be close to their husbands, sweethearts or brothers. This was not an easy thing they chose to do. They were were accused of being insane and sometimes disowned by their families. They were also told by family and friends that the war was a man's war and to remain at home to care for the children and the farms while the men were off fighting.

Two of the best know woman during the Civil war were Mary and Mollie Bell. The Bells', aliases Bob Martin and Tom Parker, were teenaged farm girls from Virginia, whose uncle had left them to join the Union army. The girls enlisted in a cavalry regiment under the command of Confederate General Jubal A. Early. With the help of their captain, the Bells served for two years before their gender was discovered.

Mary Owens enlisted in Company K, 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, in order to be with her lover. She served 18 months under the assumed name of John Evans. She did not enlist in the same regiment but in one which belonged to the same division. Mary was discovered to be a woman after she was wounded in the arm. She returned to her home in Pennsylvania to a warm reception.

Frances Hook, aka Frank Martin, enlisted with her brother in Illinois. She was wounded at the Battle of Stones River, Tennessee, in December 1862. Her sex was discovered, and she was mustered out of the Union Army. She re-enlisted several times, as did other women soldiers who were discovered.

Sarah Emma Edmonds, a native of Canada, alias Franklin Thompson, enlisted in the Second Michigan Infantry in May 1861. Her regiment participated in the Peninsula Campaign and the battles of First Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Antietam. She deserted in April 1863 because she contracted malaria and feared that if she were hospitalized she would be found out.

Mary Livermore, a member of the Sanitary Commission, was instrumental in helping discover a female soldier in an Illinois regiment. Mary wrote:
"One of the captains came to me and begged to know if I noticed anything peculiar in the appearance of one of the men, whom he indicated. It was evident at a glance that the 'man' was a young woman in male attire, and I said so".

The young woman was called out of the ranks, but begged the officer to allow her to remain and keep her disguise as she had enlisted with her husband's company to be with him. She was escorted out of camp. That night she leaped into the Chicago River in an attempted suicide, but was rescued by a policeman.

The woman then said: "I have only my husband in all the world, and when he enlisted he promised me that I should go with him; and that was why I put on his clothes and enlisted in the same regiment. And go with him I will, in spite of everybody".

The woman who volunteered for the war were a demonstration of the opposite of everything that most Americans males thought at the time. Most males thought women should be at home and subservient to their male partners and all males in general. Women of this time were taught to be frail and passive. These women proved that a woman could fight and stand up for something they believe in and be a strong individual.

These woman should be remembered just as their male counterparts for the duties they performed during the civil war. Valor and bravery see no sex as a prerequisite to be either.

Works Cited:

Burgess, Lauren "'Typical' ," The Washington Times , Oct. 5, 1991.

Livermore,Mary A. My Story of the War: A Woman's Narrative of Four Years' Personal Experience as Nurse in the Union Army (1888), pp. 119-120.

Blanton, DeAnne. "Women Soldiers of the Civil War." Prologue 25.Spring. (1993). Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1993/spring/women-in-the-civil-war-1.html>.

Three Reform Movements

            Reform movements between 1820 to 1840 were mostly for change, but some were  attempts at reform movements to stop the changes that were being asked for by the people. These included education for all, freedom being giving to slave’s immediately and utopian societies. Others came in the form of utopian societies, equality for and by women and former slaves.

            Many movements during this time were the establishment of Utopian communities. Utopian communities wanted to form a world that a perfect society could be formed from. Most of the utopian communities were formed to seek a simpler life and focus on emotions and feelings. “These communities differed greatly in structure and motivation” ( Foner, 412). The Shakers of Ohio believed in separation of the sexes and The Owenties removed children from the homes of their parents at a very young age to educate them and “subordinate individual ambition to the common good.” (Foner, 416) Both of these Utopian communities wanted to have easier lives but they had completely different thoughts of what the life would curtail. Utopian communities generally failed within a few years due to lack of funding and differing of opinion on the direction of the community.

            One of the largest movements of this time was the abolitionist movement. Theodore D. Weld and William Lloyd Garrison were all proponents of freeing slaves from the bonds that held them. Theodore Weld was a leader in the early part to abolish slavery and until the passing of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution to abolish slavery in 1865. He was a vocal leader until 1837 he lost his voice due to physical health issues. He did not quit and at this point he went to New York to edit books and pamphlets on slavery. William Lloyd Garrison led the abolitionism parade with the written word. He was trained as a printer and established the Liberator newspaper in Boston. William Lloyd Garrison sums up the abolition movement with the saying, “I am in earnest - I will not equivocate - I will not excuse - I will not retreat a single inch - and I will be heard!” William Lloyd Garrison also wanted the slave to be released immediately with compensation to their former masters These two individuals led the movement to greater heights and as is the case with William Lloyd Garrison he did not let losing his voice stop him from pushing forward with the abolitionists movement in the United States. The perseverance of these men among countless other helped to achieved the goal to end slavery on January 31^st 1865, with the passing of the 13^th amendment to the Constitution.

Horace Mann

            Horace Mann was the leader of a reform for education. Horace Mann believed that education should be free for all children. He also helped to establish taxes to support schools, longer school years and teacher training. According to Foner Horace Mann “hoped that universal public education could restore equality .” (Foner 420) Free public education was shared some of its ideals with labor movement. Education was favored by “factory owners and middle class reformers.” (Foner 420) Horace Mann and his idea of universal education were well accepted in the North but in the South it was different. Horace Mann did have opposition. Some of his opposition was parents and also the South. The South thought that an educated slave was dangerous and they did not want to pay for education for anyone.

            These three types of reform were all very important in the history of the United States. They all were about different issues of the time. Utopian societies, freeing of slaves and free public education were all forms of reform movements during 1820-1840.  All of these movements were peaceful society changes. Utopian societies and free public education are still issues discussed today. They appear to be different but they hold the common key, people wanted change and the winds brought this.

Works Cited:

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2009.

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. Vol. 1. New York: The New Press, 2003.

Garrison, William L. "William Lloyd Garrison Quotes." Book Rags Media Network. Accessed March 23, 2011. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_lloyd_garrison.html.

Mayer, Henry. All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998.

Hubbell, George A. Life of Horace Mann, Educator, Patriot and Reformer Philadelphia, 1910

Three Reform Movements

            Reform movements between 1820 to 1840 were mostly for change, but some were  attempts at reform movements to stop the changes that were being asked for by the people. These included education for all, freedom being giving to slave’s immediately and utopian societies. Others came in the form of utopian societies, equality for and by women and former slaves.

            Many movements during this time were the establishment of Utopian communities. Utopian communities wanted to form a world that a perfect society could be formed from. Most of the utopian communities were formed to seek a simpler life and focus on emotions and feelings. “These communities differed greatly in structure and motivation” ( Foner, 412). The Shakers of Ohio believed in separation of the sexes and The Owenties removed children from the homes of their parents at a very young age to educate them and “subordinate individual ambition to the common good.” (Foner, 416) Both of these Utopian communities wanted to have easier lives but they had completely different thoughts of what the life would curtail. Utopian communities generally failed within a few years due to lack of funding and differing of opinion on the direction of the community.

            One of the largest movements of this time was the abolitionist movement. Theodore D. Weld and William Lloyd Garrison were all proponents of freeing slaves from the bonds that held them. Theodore Weld was a leader in the early part to abolish slavery and until the passing of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution to abolish slavery in 1865. He was a vocal leader until 1837 he lost his voice due to physical health issues. He did not quit and at this point he went to New York to edit books and pamphlets on slavery. William Lloyd Garrison led the abolitionism parade with the written word. He was trained as a printer and established the Liberator newspaper in Boston. William Lloyd Garrison sums up the abolition movement with the saying, “I am in earnest - I will not equivocate - I will not excuse - I will not retreat a single inch - and I will be heard!” William Lloyd Garrison also wanted the slave to be released immediately with compensation to their former masters These two individuals led the movement to greater heights and as is the case with William Lloyd Garrison he did not let losing his voice stop him from pushing forward with the abolitionists movement in the United States. The perseverance of these men among countless other helped to achieved the goal to end slavery on January 31^st 1865, with the passing of the 13^th amendment to the Constitution.

Horace Mann

            Horace Mann was the leader of a reform for education. Horace Mann believed that education should be free for all children. He also helped to establish taxes to support schools, longer school years and teacher training. According to Foner Horace Mann “hoped that universal public education could restore equality .” (Foner 420) Free public education was shared some of its ideals with labor movement. Education was favored by “factory owners and middle class reformers.” (Foner 420) Horace Mann and his idea of universal education were well accepted in the North but in the South it was different. Horace Mann did have opposition. Some of his opposition was parents and also the South. The South thought that an educated slave was dangerous and they did not want to pay for education for anyone.

            These three types of reform were all very important in the history of the United States. They all were about different issues of the time. Utopian societies, freeing of slaves and free public education were all forms of reform movements during 1820-1840.  All of these movements were peaceful society changes. Utopian societies and free public education are still issues discussed today. They appear to be different but they hold the common key, people wanted change and the winds brought this.

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2009.

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. Vol. 1. New York: The New Press, 2003.

Garrison, William L. "William Lloyd Garrison Quotes." Book Rags Media Network. Accessed March 23, 2011. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/william_lloyd_garrison.html.

Mayer, Henry. All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998.

Hubbell, George A. Life of Horace Mann, Educator, Patriot and Reformer Philadelphia, 1910

Eli Whitney & His Inventions

Most of us use this fabric in multiple capacities each and everyday but we think very little about where it comes from or how it is harvested. One man changed the way that it was harvested with his invention. He also greatly increased the exports of the Southern States and the importation of slaves.

 Eli Whitney was born in Massachusetts in 1765. He was born into a notable family. His father was a revolutionary war hero. He worked with his father in the families nail factory. His mother died when he was eleven. His stepmother did not want him to seek higher education. He worked as a schoolteacher to earn money for college. He entered Yale in May 1789 and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1792. He wanted to be a lawyer but ran out of money to secure this degree.   He had strived to become an engineer due to his great ability to work with machinery. There were no engineering jobs at the time so Eli Whitney accepted a teaching position on South Carolina.

Eli left the North to take the position and soon learned that Southerners needed a better and more efficient way to grow and harvest cotton. He was soon introduced to Catherine Greene a widow of General Nathanael Greene. He served as a general in the American Revelatory war. He also meet Phineas Miller. Phineas Miller was the plantation manager for Ms. Green. At a social meeting with Catherine Greene and other former revolutionary war veterans it was suggested that growing cotton was not profitable due to green-seed cotton was hard to deal with and took a long time to pick the seeds out.  The other party guests agreed with Ms. Green and Ms. Green suggested the Eli could build anything and help them out. Eli soon accepted an invitation from Ms. Green to stay at her plantation. Once he arrived he saw the first hand conditions of harvesting cotton.

 Eli worked in a back shed on an invention that would become the cotton gin.  The cotton gin were machines used to separate the cotton kernel from the seeds. Once it was produced it came in multiple varieties. It could be cranked by hand, driven by livestock or with water pressure. "One man and a horse will do more than fifty men with the old machines," wrote Whitney to his father.  Eli made the machine and applied for the patent. He could foresee that everywhere you looked on a plantation you could see a cotton gin machine. The cotton gin helped to expedite the production of cotton. It took far fewer slaves to pick the seeds out of the cotton. Eli applied for a patent for the cotton gin, which he first made in 1793, and Thomas Jefferson granted him the patent for his cotton gin in 1794. Thomas Jefferson was at the time secretary of state and in a letter back expressed interest in the cotton gin for his plantation in Virginia.

Eli started to mass produce the cotton gin with the help of his business partner Phineas Miller. Issues soon started to arise. There were multiple copies of Eli’s cotton gin out there and Georgia farmers resented the fact that they could not buy Eli’s machine but they would pay a fee of two fifths of the profit from their cotton sales to be paid in cotton. Most George farmers looked at this as a tax. Miller started filing lawsuits soon after against the other cotton gin manufactures but these were not successful until 1800 when the US patent laws were changed. Eli and Phineas had problems making a profit until after 1800 due to these legal issues.

It is true that the number of slaves needed decreased in relation to picking the seeds out of the cotton. But the importation of slave increased along with the demand for larger size plantations. The cotton gin made cotton a premier cash crop due to decreasing the production time. Most plantations owners increased the size of their plantations and planted more crops.

"Cotton growing became so profitable for the planters that it greatly increased their demand for both land and slave labor. In 1790 there were six slave states; in 1860 there were 15. From 1790 until Congress banned the importation of slaves from Africa in 1808, Southerners imported 80,000 Africans. By 1860 approximately one in three Southerners was a slave.”

Eli Whitney will always be remembered for his cotton gin invention. He also invented interchangeable parts. This started with the musket in 1798. Thus is ultimately what made Eli rich. The legal battles keep him form profit with the cotton gin.

I wonder did Eli Whitney see the evils that his machine helped or was he simply trying to help the south?

Resources:

Joan Brodsky Schur, “cotton gin patent,” archives.com, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/cotton-gin-patent/ (accessed February 17, 2011).

Olmsted, Denison. 1846. Memoir of Eli Whitney, Esq. 1846: Durrie & Peck