Study Questions

Carol Berkin
Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence

How have women in the Revolution been remembered? How does the author want to present their roles?

Describe women's status in eighteenth-century colonial society and their roles in the family, the household, and society. Was there any flexibility in what women might be expected to do?

Describe how women got drawn into the politics of protest against Parliament and King George III. How did they participate? How did others view their activities?

How did outbreak of war affect women? What was their response to men's war excitement? How did shortages and men's absences affect them? How did violence and cruelty affect them? How could women fight back? Describe women's contribution contribute to the Patriot cause. Describe the organization of the Ladies Association and its accomplishments.

Explain the role of camp followers? Why did they follow armies? What was armies' opinion of them? How did their experiences affect camp followers? Why did armies tolerate or even need them? How might they show heroism? What happened to women who tried to enlist as men? What problems did camp followers pose? How did the armies deal with prostitutes? Describe the lives of officers' wives like Martha Washington.

Describe Martha Washington's experience of the war. How did the attitudes and actions of other generals' wives like Caty Greene contrast with Martha Washington's? Describe the experience of British and Hessian generals' wives, especially Baroness Frederika Riedesel. Why did British soldiers honor her?

What sorts of things happened to Loyalist women or wives of Loyalists? What were their options? How could they respond? What was the attitudes of Revolutionaries to Loyalist women and children? Where did Loyalists flee, and what influenced their choice of refuge? What did they think of their new homes?

Describe the varied situations of women in Indian tribes. What factors affected an Indian tribe's loyalities? What roles did Molly Brant and Nancy Ward play in the Revolution? Identify Esther Montour and Mary Jemison. How did war affect them? Describe differences between the war experiences of Indian and white women .

What opportunities did the war offer slaves? Explain the significance of the Earl of Dunmore and Sir Henry Clinton. How might escaped and freed slaves lose their freedom again? Where did fugitive slaves who escaped reenslavement end up going? What was their life in freedom like? Who was Phillis Wheatley? What options did the patriot cause offer slaves? How did the Revolution affect slavery both north and south?

Who were Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Nathan Hale? Give examples of how women displayed heroism in support of the revolutionary cause.

What was the postwar debate on the woman question? How had attitudes toward women changed? What was the role of women to be in the new republic? For women, what did not change after the Revolution?