Nursing Role In The Civil War

From the outbreak in 1861 to its conclusion in 1865, the United States held one of its most significant moments in American history: The Civil War. The United States was in an enraged uproar, and The North and South were not the only ones standing up for what they believed was right, as the public presence of women during the civil war depicted how individuals of the female gender can stretch their bounds of proper behavior. Women took on new positions that contrasted the norms, leading them to establish themselves in history as triumphant leaders, caretakers and active participants in our nations history. From the years 1809 to 1839, the American colonial era becomes a part of the past and a newfound consumer driven society sets in. In the

General knowledge concurred that women needed to be protected from the horrors of the war, leading to their contribution in the field of nursing. In the views of society, nursing was a foolproof way that women could still remain clean and delicate while still devoting to the war effort. Although nursing is more of an official occupational title than midwife, they still went through the same procedures to gain the knowledge to operate on patients: by watching an expert. Homes and churches became hospitals, and at the start of the war, nurses were merely volunteers who showed up at military hospitals (Women In The Civil War). But after Battle Of Bull Run, Clara Barton and Dorethea Dix organized a nursing corps to help care for the wounded soldiers. Clara Barton is the most famous civil war nurse, as she made impeccable strides in representation of women by creating the Red Cross in response to her experiences during the Civil War, and “became known as the ‘Angel of the Battlefield’ and was appointed superintendent of nurses in the Army of the James in June 1864, despite her criticism of the military’s treatment of the wounded.” (librarypdf). Other than the generic tasks of giving medicine and bandaging wounds, female nurses also “ passed out supplies, wrote letters for soldiers and read to them, cooked and served meals, and did laundry” (librarypdf). Nursing was

Being a spy was a seemingly perfect job for a women to uphold, “ Because few men expected women to be politicized to the point that they would pass secrets, women were able to glean useful information from the enemy” (Women and the Civil War ). In fact, women could conveniently hide messages in their hoopskirts, corsets and parasols. An example of two women who are still well known today for supreme work as a spies include Harriet Tubman and Mary Ann Pittman. On a similar note, it is officially documented that at least 250 women served as soldiers in the civil war, while most believe it could have been at least 400 or more. One may ask the question, how would a woman fight as a soldier if they were prohibited from enlisting? During those times, the only option for women was to disguise themselves as men, and a majority did this with success although this was illegal. They were forced to hide their breasts and disguise their voices, and typically went in with a male that they could trust. Their Adam’s apple was the only dead give away, yet this was rarely noticed since there were no examinations took place and they tried to cover their necks at all times. Each woman had a motive for wanting to fight, some of the factors included earning money to bring back to their families, desire for adventure and to accompany loved ones. If caught in the act, the consequences varied depending