Womens Roles Women of the Slaveholding South in the...

Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust chronicles the transition of women’s roles and attitudes in the South during the Civil War. The work of Faust does not only deal with the roles of women but also the changing attitudes of men in relation to the status of women in the South. The war itself was integral in the transformation of women and would bring about these changes for the better but would be painful for many who were raised in the subservient culture of southern society. With attitudes and the environment of a world without men, women were forced to change as were the patriarchs of the society who were no longer able to cling to outdated gender roles. Faust points†¦show more content†¦By using personal records Faust lets the reader see into the mind of women during this period, as we see some were more adaptable to the newer roles while others still tried to cling to the world they had known pr e-war. Those who longed for more would not hide their feelings when writing in their personal papers; many would focus their anger on their own gender, this frustration pouring out in their writings. â€Å"The men†¦who are worth something, will the off in their prime; while worthless women, of no value or importance to ourselves or the rest of the world, will live on, useless trash in comparison.† These were the words of Sarah Morgan; in these words we are able to see an awakening in the minds of some women that their prior roles had limited their progression. Faust details numerous accounts of women stepping out of what had become comfortable or normal and being prodded to evaluate themselves and other women and the roles that were imposed on their sex. Throughout the book Faust relies heavily on the voices of women from a range of backgrounds, focusing on those of privilege as well as on those of lower status. This allows the reader to get a greater knowledge of the subject as well as a better understanding of the women of the South. Faust also discusses the growth of women’s groups during the war, institutions that were more prevalent in the north prior to the war but would begin to blossom in theShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Women During The Civil War839 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom historians who have studied the role of women in the Civil War. The role of women in the Civil War have been both on the home-front and on the war front. During the time of the War Between the States, women took it upon themselves to not only support the men and the cause, but to become soldiers themselves. Women also became involved in politics and nursing the wounded. The archives to support my topic, Women in the Civil War, provide evidence of how women preserved in such a turbulent timeRead MoreWomen Of The American Civil War1499 Words   |  6 PagesIn Mothers of Invention, Drew Gilpin Faust has written a wonderful history of the â€Å"Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War†. This informative study allows the reader to get a look into the life of privileged white women of the south. Faust uses diaries, political documents, newspapers and personal letters, to give the reader to experience things through the eyes and in the words of the women themselves. Faust presents a number of southern women whose lives were changed by the societalRead MoreConfederate Women During Wartime Of American Consciousness1868 Words   |  8 PagesConfederate Women in Wartime In the American history, Civil War takes one of the prominent places due to the significance of it role in formation of American consciousness. The Civil Was of 1861-1865 identified the directions that the nation would take in the future development. Still, despite the importance of this event in the history of the United States, its impact on different spheres of human lives is commonly given less attention than necessary for understanding of the future changes in the