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Women in the Civil War

Women had a large part in the Civil War. It was a time where women did not have all the rights that men had, however, their education was greater than previous generations of women making them useful throughout the duration of the Civil War. Many women that had a large impact on the Civil War were nurses. Clara Barton is one the most well known female nurse from the Civil War because she later founded the American Red Cross after her experience during the Civil War. When Barton first started contributing to the Civil War she would voluntarily go to local battlefields and help the wounded soldiers. Nowadays most people associate women in the Civil War with nursing. There were a lot of women who were nurses, however, in the beginning some male surgeons discouraged it because of the difficulty and gore that comes with the job. They did not believe a woman could handle it so the female nurses just had to prove themselves. Other women in the Civil War were used as spies by both the Confederate and the Union. Women could cross enemy lines slightly easier than men, and they could also hide things like messages and supplies under their dresses. Some spies would flirt with officers from the other side in order to acquire information as well. Emeline Pigott, a Confederate spy, would have Union soldiers over for dinner and listen in on their conversations and report back to the Confederate. Female spies worked well in the Civil War because men thought nothing of it when talking in front of a woman and never believed that one would pass on their secrets to the enemy. Finally, some woman in the Civil War disguised themselves as men in order to be a soldier. They were motivated by the idea of fighting for what they believe in and participating in something that goes beyond themselves. Also, being a soldier paid better than other jobs women were able to have such as nursing. Loretta Velasquez, also known as Harry Buford was even a Confederate Lieutenant. There is not an exact number of women that fought in the Civil War because most of their identities were unknown unless they were injured or killed.

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Citations:  Picture 1: "Clara Barton | American Red Cross Founder | Who Is Clara Barton."American Red Cross. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. . Pictures 2 and 3 and Info: "The Roles of Women in the Civil War." Civil War Saga. 6 July 2011. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. . Picture 4 and Info: "Women and the Civil War." Middle Tennessee State University Library. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. . Youtube Video: "The Secret Lives of Some Civil War Soldiers." //YouTube//. YouTube, 2 May 2014. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. .