Founding Mothers: Women in America in the Revolutionary Era

by Linda Grant De Pauw

Describes the daily lives, social roles, and contributions of women living during the Revolutionary period.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, American Revolutionary War, Womens Studies, Feminism

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

LINDA GRANT DE PAUW is President of the Minerva Center (an institution dedicated to studies of women in the military) and Professor Emeritus of History at George Washington University.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but not impressive. Some interesting accounts, but no depth to the facts or analysis.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book satisfied my historian heart. I loved the primary sources and the in depth look into women in America in the late 18th century. This book gave me a glimpse into the lives of my ancestors living in New England.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting and informative look at women in the 1700s. There was a lot I didn't know about this generation of women, and how ideals about women changed so drastically into the 1800s.

[Frances Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prose of most history books is about as transparent as California tap water. But De Pauw's exploration of the roles women played in the economic, political, social, and political life of colonies in the 18th century is a pleasant exception. When I was in school, history lessons were filled with men and the manly things they did. With the reclamation of women's contributions throughout the ages, I find myself motivated to conduct research that never would have interested me in the 1980s or even 1990s.

Favorite quotes:
From the chapter "Women's Work: Making Money," p 44

The extent of women's involvement in the economic activities of their communities clearly demonstrates that there was no notion of a confined sphere of proper feminine activity in colonial America. It never occurred to anyone that a woman compromised her femininity if she demonstrated competence in what were later defined as "masculine" skills. [...:] The confidence that colonial women could have in their ability to support themselves without a husband produced a generation of women with a degree of self-respect that later generations would view as brazen, unfeminine, and unladylike."

From the chapter "Black Women," p. 72

Slavery was not confined to the South before the Revolution. Substantial numbers of slaves were found in the middle colonies -- especially in New York -- and even in New England. In those areas most farms were small and slaves were not worked in gangs. [...:] Even southern plantations had not yet experiences the agricultural revolution that brought the large-scale cotton and sugar productions to the South in the nineteenth century. [...:] On large units, men did the plowing, but on smaller units a good number of slave women were used for that heavy work. Some individual women were stronger than most men, and it was not infrequent for a planter to note that the most valuable field hand on his place was a woman.

From the chapter "Loyalist Women", p. 144

Perhaps the greatest use of history is that it teaches compassion for both sides and especially compassion for ordinary people caught up in great events."

From the chapter "Women and War", p. 191

Margaret Corbin, Margaret Hays, and many other campfollowers who took up arms in the heat of battle fought as women. They wore their usual skirts and petticoats and expected no pay except for the campfollower's half-rations. Other women, however, sought the full pay, rations, and recruitment bounty due to regular soldiers by disguising themselves as men and enlisting in the ranks.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good source of information for studying women during this time period. The title was a bit misleading at first; I thought it would be about the wives of the Founding Fathers. Got a little long and tiring to read in some places, but was overall and okay read.

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not meaty enough for research, but great overview of the hard work American women did and were expected to do in 1700s

[Brian Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating!!