Key Ideas
1. Women participated in all aspects of the American Revolution, from the early protests through managing the aftermath of the war.
2. The experiences of women during the American Revolution varied widely based on race, class, age, and geographic region.
3. The contributions of women shaped the experience and outcome of the American Revolution.
Introduction
Women and the American Revolution, 1750–1783
Though women in the English colonies were legally barred from nearly all forms of public and political life, they found numerous ways to engage in the political discourse that heated up in the years before the American Revolution. They used their considerable social and economic influence as the managers of their households to support the Patriot and Loyalist causes. Their efforts were not always welcome, but they were effective.
The outbreak of the war in 1775 cleaved a fissure right through the heart of colonial society. Over the course of the war, women of every age, race, and social class suddenly found themselves living in a war zone, and their families were torn apart. They endured years of hardship, and many lost everything as the American and British armies battled across the continent. They were called upon to support the war effort on both sides of the conflict, both at home and on the front. Without the efforts of women on both sides of the revolutionary divide, the war would have progressed very differently.
But the upheaval of the Revolutionary Era also provided an opportunity for women to challenge the status quo. Black women contested the practice of slavery, Indigenous women maneuvered to improve the position of their communities in the face of the ongoing threat of colonization, and white women campaigned for better educational and political opportunities.
The effects of the Revolution did not end with the Treaty of Paris. Its impact would reverberate for years to come, shaping a new ideal of American womanhood.
Woodcut detail from Molly Gutridge, A new touch on the times: Well adapted to the distressing situation of every sea-port town (Danvers, MA: Ezekiel Russell, 1779). New-York Historical Society Library.
Video
This video is from “Women Have Always Worked,” a free massive open online course produced in collaboration with Columbia University.
Teaching Materials
Resources in this Topic
A Call to Arms
Mercy Otis Warren rallies Patriots in the years following the Boston Massacre.
A Loyalist Wife
Excerpts from the diary of a Loyalist targeted by Patriots during the American Revolution.
Abolition and Revolution
This poem demonstrates how enslaved and free Black people saw the American Revolution as an opportunity to end the systemic oppression of Black people in the colonies.
Army Wife
Two of Lucy Knox’s letters illustrate the trials and tribulations of women whose husbands left to fight in the war.
Dunmore’s Proclamation
A runaway advertisement that captures the fallout of Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation.
Edenton Tea Party
Fifty women sign and publish a statement declaring their intention to boycott all British goods.
Evacuating the Colonies
This ledger records the biographical information about every enslaved or free Black person who evacuated New York with the British at the end of the war.
Fear and Danger in New York
A woman’s letter that illustrates the dangers of living through the events of the American Revolution.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
A well-to-do Loyalist lady recounts the first battles of the American Revolution.
Madam Sacho and Sullivan’s Army
Soldiers tell the story of a Haudenosaunee woman who encountered Sullivan’s army.
Catharine Littlefield Greene Miller
Revolutionary Housewife. The story of a general’s wife who dealt with the repercussions of the American Revolution for decades after it ended.
Deborah Squash
Self-Emancipated Woman. The story of a woman who successfully self-emancipated during the American Revolution.
Elizabeth Freeman
Abolition Pioneer. The story of a woman who set the legal precedent that abolished slavery in Massachusetts.
Jane McCrea
Martyr for the Revolution. The story of a woman who became a symbol for the Patriot cause.
Jane Spurgin
Patriot Petitioner. The story of a woman who fought for her property rights.
Margaret Thomas
Free Black Revolutionary. A free Black woman who worked for George Washington during the American Revolution.
Molly Brant aka Konwatsi’tsiaienni
Mohawk Loyalist. The story of a Mohawk leader during the American Revolution.
Polly Cooper
Oneida Patriot. The story of an Oneida woman who provided vital services to the Continental Army.
Lorenda Holmes
Loyalist Spy. The story of a woman who put her life on the line for the Loyalist cause.
Margaret Corbin
Fighting for the Revolution. The story of a camp follower who took up arms during the American Revolution.
Get Deeper into Relevant Topics
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English Colonies
Life in the English colonies laid the foundation for what would become American culture. This was true for all aspects of life, including the role of women. Yet women of diverse backgrounds both adopted and challenged English social norms, creating an identity and culture unique to North America.
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Spanish and French Colonies
The experiences of those in the Spanish and French colonies overlapped with much of what happened in the English colonies, yet their conceptions of women’s roles and the impact of race and religion on social status would complicate the evolution of American identity and culture as these regions were added to the United States.
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