Women in the Revolution

Women in the Revolution. . Women lived difficult lives in the Revolutionary era. They cooked, wove cloth and sewed it into clothing, washed, mended, and raised children. They also usually helped their husbands on the farm or in the family business., The war forced women to take on additional tasks. Many had to take over farms and shops while their husbands were away on military service. They cared for sick and wounded soldiers, and some acted as spies and messengers for the armies. A few accompanied their husbands as camp followers, staying with the army and performing tasks such as cooking and laundry for the soldiers., Women experienced the horrors of war as Patriot and Loyalist militia plundered the houses of suspected enemies and often burned them. Both armies seized crops and livestock, leaving women and children hungry and sometimes homeless. Despite these hardships, women persevered and contributed much to the American victory.