Mum Bett: The African Woman Who Stole Freedom - Essay Sample

Introduction

The misplacement of women made them stronger than before since they made them better. They made women like Mum Bett, who later changed her name to Elizabeth Freeman, who was an African woman living as a slave. She turned the revolution to her gain by striving for her independence. She sued John Ashley with the help of her lawyer Theodore Sedgwick to get her freedom back (Document 6.9). Other women used their connection to patriotic politics, such as Deborah, who carried the accurate, critical information behind the enemy lines of British, not forgetting to raise funds for the troops (Document 6). The women in the revolution made sure that they created way during the war or turned the tables to find useful in the war (Document Project 6).

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During the revolution era, different women did diverse activities during independence. Some women choose to go with their husbands to the camps to do the chores and also offer their services as nurses (Exploring American Histories, page 179). Others even choose to raise money and gather as much information as they could for the soldiers. They also sent clothes and beddings. The women from the north dealt with the production of clothes, which they did tirelessly while the women from the south equally made clothes and food for the soldiers. These soldiers needed both clothes and food during the war (Exploring American Histories, page 179). There were other women such as Phillis Wheatley, whose role was to write poems and send them to the read. Her main aim was to request them to look at the Africans as part of the contingent during the war (Exploring American Histories, page 179).

Women wanted to contribute to the war. However, not all were involved. Some patriotic women leaders wanted to be part of ending the conflict. So they joined hands and created associations that were voluntary, such as the Ladies Association of Philadelphia (Exploring American Histories, page 179). The primary role of these associations was to assist in the provision of the most vital resources for the army. There was a group that followed their husbands to the camps. They continued to do so, and this created new opportunities for them (Exploring American Histories, page 179).

Women like Lydia Darragh used to eavesdrop on conversations so that she would have detailed information to go with to Washington. Others like Nancy Hart Morgan lulled some British soldiers into some hidden and secure places and killed them with their guns while disposing of their bodies. Those that she could not manage to shoot and kill, she called help from her neighbors who came to murder them (Exploring American Histories, page 184). The most daring ones, such as Margaret, made sure that they went with their husbands to the war. Fortunately, when their husbands died in the war, they took their places. The advantage they had was working hand in hand with their husbands at war. That made them be trusted with taking over the leadership positions at the battlefields. Deborah Sampson was also among the patriots who considered themselves to be as good as men and was listed amongst the soldiers (Exploring American Histories, page 184).

In all wars, women were endangered by the enemies who roamed around. Considering they were women, who were not trained on how to tackle an enemy. In short, these women lacked specific military skills to defend themselves. Men were believed to be the right ones for war. Thus, by lacking these essential military skills, almost all women were disadvantageous in times of war. Men were considered more influential and best for war. What limited women were also hardships they faced, such as limited or inadequate supplies of their necessities. They were also always in fear since their men were always absent.

Conclusion

In conclusion, during the revolutionary war, the way the women decided to be part of the war to help in all the ways they can, made the war victorious. Such leaders brought a lot of changes since, in the current world, women are involved in the war. It is true since time immemorial that wars are meant for men to battle, but unfortunately, there's no society with men without women. That was why even the revolutionary war was mainly believed to be for men to fight. Like any other war, the revolutionary war had an impact on the lives of women. In most instances, during times of wars, some people benefit, and while others lose terribly. For example, although the United States won this war, the soldiers did not celebrate their victory. They were not allowed to return home. That alone demoralized most of them who were longing to get back home immediately after the war, which was not the case. All of us should appreciate the role of women they played during the war. Minus them, the victory could not be foreseen.