"Actuated by the most glorious
cause that mankind ever fought in, I am to defend this post to the
very last extremity." A brave soldier once said this. The cause
was American independence from a tyrannical regime, and the soldier
was a woman. Her name was Margaret Cochran Corbin, but for
all her bravery and sacrifice, she and the women of her time have
been largely overlooked and their contributions, forgotten. Early
American women, however, were vitally important to the success of
the colonial rebellion against almighty England. While the common role of women in
the period leading up to the Revolutionary War was as it had been
for centuries & that of mother and housewife & they were
also writers, political activists, and, as mentioned, soldiers.
Mercy Otis Warren was a popular
anti-Loyalist propagandist. Her works of poetry and drama, characterized
by political satire, were widely published in Massachusetts newspapers
and elsewhere throughout the 1770s. A talented and undaunted supporter
of the colonial cause, her writings influenced many.
As an economically powerful group,
women were central in the colonies' opposition to the many
attempts by Parliament to impose unjust taxes. Their participation
in the boycotting of imported British goods was imperative. The
success of the parliamentary repeal of the Stamp Act was attributed
largely to the boycott endorsed by women. The hands that rocked
the cradle also rattled the British Empire.
During the war, many women served
as camp followers, accompanying American regiments in order to cook,
wash clothes, and support the soldiers. Margaret Cochran Corbin
was one of these. When her husband, whose job was loading the cannons,
was killed in battle at Fort Washington, she took his place and
continued fighting until she was felled by grapeshot. In later years,
she was awarded a soldier's pension in recognition of her sacrifice.
Debora Sampson, disguised as
man, served throughout the war of independence as a man, and was
wounded twice. Only when her gender was discovered by an attending
physician did her service end. Many other women also took up arms
in defense of the colonies, risking life and limb and reputation
for the sake of their noble ideals.
Women did not merely risk their lives
as soldiers, but as spies for the American cause. Considered weak
and dull of mind, they were disregarded and ignored by the British,
thus often privy to conversations regarding military intelligence.
Lydia Darrah overheard an order for British troops to conduct
an attack on colonial troops at White Marsh. Obtaining a pass to
travel safely through British lines on a pretense, Darrah hurried
to her compatriots and warned them of the impending assault.
It goes without saying that the participation
of women in the struggle for colonial independence contributed definitively
to its success. Wife, mother, homemaker & all were and are
& noble and admirable roles, deserving of high praise. Yet,
if character defines an individual as much as her function in life,
the rebellious women of colonial America who gave of themselves
for the cause of independence are deserving of praise as well.-
Theresa A Ludwick
