Women, the Civil War, and the "Sphere of Domesticity"

                During the Civil War, many women chose to act outside the "Sphere of Domesticity" while others chose to stay within traditional gender roles.  Many women like Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, and Louisa May Alcott, acted outside the sphere by performing medical and nursing jobs.  They wanted to help others and nurse for a career.  While nursing soldiers was not necessarily outside the sphere, these women, however often took leadership roles.  Dorothea Dix was in charge of all the female nurses and was in charge of the male doctors in Washington DC.  Clara Barton also took on a leadership role and founded the Red Cross.  Louisa May Alcott was considered to be acting outside the sphere by being a young, single, attractive woman nursing male soldiers.  Other women wanted to be involved in the war so they acted outside the sphere by serving in the war in combat disguised as men.  There were other women like Belle Boyd and Rose O'Neal Greenhow who during the war clearly acted outside traditional gender roles by acting as spies, transferring secrets, documents, and money.  By acting as spies they got to contribute to the warfront as well as receive the satisfaction and thrill of the work they did.  Another woman, Martha Coston, acted outside the sphere by helping to finish her husband's work when he died.  She finished designing chemical flairs that would eventually be used by the navy.  Many women acted outside the sphere because their husbands were away at war and there was no one else to balance the budgets and run the communities.  There were also women upset with the government, and they wanted to show their discontent with the Union by throwing human waste at soldiers and wearing Confederate colors.  General Butler issued a Woman's Order to stop these actions by saying if women mistreated soldiers the public would not treat them as ladies.  Finally, Harriet Jacobs acted outside the sphere but for very different reasons.  She was in charge of helping slave refugees when slaves escaped to the north.  She herself was a runaway slave and she acted outside the sphere as a leader to enlighten people on how terrible slavery was.

Quilt Square to Represent Belle Boyd

                There were still women, however at the time of the Civil War that chose to act inside the "Sphere of Domesticity".  Even though Dorothea Dix was outside the sphere because she was in charge of all the nurses and doctors in Washington DC she wanted women to dress conservatively and focus on their jobs.  She was very strict and in this regard remained in the sphere.  Alice Chapin was another woman who remained in the sphere.  She was upset her husband left her to enlist in the army.  She was poor because she stayed in the sphere and refused to take a job.  She tried to help him and her sons at war by sending care packages.  She wanted to better society which was still considered inside the sphere, so she joined many charitable causes and became the president of a local Ladies' Temperance League.  There were many other women who also wanted to just help soldiers by sending care packages or working for charities.  Life changed for most women during the Civil War, and some had reasons to act outside the “Sphere of Domesticity”, while some had motivations to continue to act inside the sphere.

Created with Padlet

Giesberg Judith, “Ms. Dix Comes to Washington,” The New York Times Opinionator, April 27, 2011, 9:50 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yUH6y_/14b38123c6927cb53745a49013852ec4/Reading_1_-_Dorothea_Dix.pdf.

Korb Scott, “Harriet Jacob’s First Assignment,” Disunion, September 6, 2012, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCiV_/875ff05b39a908fd3745a49013852ec4/Reading_10_-_Harriet_Jacobs_Schools_Orphans.pdf.

Long Alecia P., “General Butler and the Women,” June 18, 2012 4:22 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCix_/d9a0bce6b8829a113745a49013852ec4/Reading_11_-_Butlers_Woman_Order.pdf.

Abbot Karen, “The ‘Siren of Shenandoah,’” The New York Times Opinionator, May 23, 2012, 12 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCjL_/e9ae2628efcd0d933745a49013852ec4/Reading_12_-_Belle_Boyd.pdf.

Stiehm Jamie, “Compassion Under Fire,” The New York Times Opinionator, December 9, 2011, 9:31 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCXB_/c3cc7284f71d03423745a49013852ec4/Reading_2_-_Clara_Barton.pdf.

Etcheson Nicole, “When the Men Went to War,” The New York Times Opinionator, July 19, 2012, 12:30 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCfS_/fd63455f0f62be353745a49013852ec4/Reading_3_-_Alice_Chapin.pdf.

Lineberry Cate, “The Wild Rose of Washington,” The New York Times Opinionator, August 22, 2011, 9:30 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCfp_/376e7105a369d63d3745a49013852ec4/Reading_4_-_Rose_ONeal_Greenhow.pdf.

Reisen Harriet, “Louisa’s Civil War”, Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women, From Chapter Eleven: I’ve Often Longed to See a War, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCgF_/2b04337005809a963745a49013852ec4/Reading_5_-_Louisa_May_Alcott.pdf.

Korb Scott M., “Harriet Jacob’s War,” The New York Times Opinionator, February 20, 2013, 12:11 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCgf_/5eeebb564db776e73745a49013852ec4/Reading_6_-_Harriet_Jacobs_Refugees.pdf.

Wajda Shirley, “Mobilizing the Home Front,” The New York Times Opinionator, October 13, 2012, 3:30 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTChA_/983f4df8ab89cd973745a49013852ec4/Reading_7_-_Mobilizing_Homefront.pdf.

Larson C. Kay, “A Woman with Flare,” The New York Times Opinionator, November 2, 2012, 9:30 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTChb_/c0e83da39886ea863745a49013852ec4/Reading_8_-_Martha_Coston.pdf.

Larson C. Kay, “Women at War,” Opinionator, Exclusive Community From The Times, Disuion, August 5, 2012, 8:30 PM, http://www.edline.net/files/_yTCh3_/e1b307110c70f6fb3745a49013852ec4/Reading_9_-_Women_Soldiers.pdf.

Tactics and Technologies of the Civil War

                The following is a narrative written from the perspective of an 18 year old man working as a clerk at a dry goods store in Reading, MA.  The young man must decide whether to join all of his friends who are leaving to join the war effort and serve their country or to stay behind for self preservation.

                It has taken a lot of thinking and the choice has not been easy, but I have decided that it is more important to serve my country than stay for my own self preservation.    I learned that if I choose to fight in the navy we will be using these new ironclad ships.  They will help us survive and win because cannonballs bounce off the sides of the iron!  For the other ships to defeat us, they would have to shoot inside the ship!  This means that our two ships would need to be in very close range during battle.  We also have new and improved artillery for battles.  Instead of guns with bayonets, we will be using rifled muskets which are much more accurate at long range which will help us win and survive the battles.  The bullets we will be using in the guns are improved, too and are called lead minié.  They are an inch long and made of lead, and they spin as they leave the gun and are accurate for up to half a mile.  We even have a few of the new repeating guns.  Besides just regular guns we have railroad artillery, landmines, telescopic sights, and military telegraphs.  I am not sure exactly what tactics we will be using since we have new kinds of weapons, but I assume it will be similar to how men used to fight by charging at each other out in the open.  I feel that these technologies will help us win and will help me live through many of the dangers of war. 

                I have also heard about how the doctors and surgeons take care of any soldiers who get wounded which somewhat reassures me about living through the war.  If we are wounded with broken bones, they most often perform amputations.  They believe that about three out of four people who have an amputation live which I feel is a very high rate.  They also use chloroform as an anesthetic to help one not feel as much pain (though I have heard stories where people moan when they saw through their bones!).  They also can use opium pills, opium dust, and injections to prevent pain.  I also heard that infections can spread from wounds, but if they amputate right away the probability of getting an infection decreases.  Some people are even lucky enough to be given artificial legs and other prosthetic limbs made from cork wood, metal or rubber.  Most often they amputate I believe, but they also sometimes perform resections where they cut open the limb, saw out the damaged bone, and then close the incision.  I know this could lead to profuse bleeding but most often they try to amputate anyways.  If it’s just a simple fracture they can use wooden or plaster splints.  Besides, I want to serve my country and feel that there are many ways to be treated if anything were to happen.

                I understand that there are many risks in going to war but I believe with the new technology and skills of the surgeons helping the wounded that the risk of going to war is worth it.  The risk is not so great that I feel I have no chance to survive the war.  I am hoping for the best!

To learn more about the technologies and tactics of the Civil War:

Jones L., Terry, “Under the Knife”, The New York Times Opinionator, November 17, 2012 http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/under-the-knife/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&pagewanted=print&_r=1.

Civil War Ironclads, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ABzaEHQ4Hg

Burns, Ken, “The Civil War, A Very Bloody Affair, 1862”, Part 2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5PdEJsX4eA

Image: Burns, Ken, “The Civil War, A Very Bloody Affair, 1862”, Part 2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5PdEJsX4eA

The Hunt for the Civil War Battles

                In order to learn about the many different battles that took place during the Civil War, each person was assigned a battle to research and create a short informational Google Doc about.  Then, each person created and printed a QR code with a link to a view-able version of their Google Doc.  Everyone worked together to coordinate a QR code scavenger hunt around the entire school to learn about the various battles.  Each person had to include in their document where to go to find the next battle sign.  Each battle assigned had a corresponding number and each person had to talk to the person who had the sign before and after them in the hunt to write down the directions for the physical hunt.  During the day of the hunt, everyone hung up their signs and then found their friends to run around the school and scan all the codes.  We all copied the information (or just the link if the BYOD WiFi was not working well) and proceeded to the next sign.  When we finished the hunt we read over all the information we had collected once we got back to class.  Using this information we each put our thoughts regarding the answers to the essential questions on a class Padlet so we could organize and view the information.  We got to share what we got out of the information while organizing it at the same time.  This unconventional but fun lesson was very informative and educational!

                The ultimate victor in the civil war in the western theater is clearly the Union.  The Union won every battle in the Western theater except one.  They won the Battle of Fort Donelson, the Battle of Fort Henry, and the Battle of Shiloh, which ended up being one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war.  All of these battles were under the strong leadership of Ulysses S. Grant giving the Union the advantage to win.  The Union did not win the Battle of Chickamauga, however.  The only reason the Union did not win this battle was because of a communication error.  The Union’s General Rosecrans was informed there was a gap when there was not a gap which ended up creating an actual gap.

                                The ultimate victor in the civil war naval battles was the Union.  The Union won the Battle of Baton Rouge which was a western naval battle.  One of the other naval battles, the Battle of Hampton Roads was an eastern naval battle and technically was considered to have an inconclusive victor.  Even though there technically was no victor, this battle was a fight between two ironclad ships, the Union’s Monitor and the Confederate’s Virginia, and eventually led to the retirement of the Virginia.

                                Even though the Confederacy was technically the ultimate victor in the civil war in the eastern theater with winning more battles than the Union, the Union won the important battles near the end of the war.  At the beginning of the war the Confederates won many of the battles including the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861, the Battle of Bull Run in 1861, the Second Battle of Bull Run in 1862, the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862, Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863, the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864 and the Battle of Spotsylvania in 1864.  Many of the battles won by the Confederates were led by General Robert E. Lee.  However, once the Union’s army in the Eastern Theater was put under the leadership of Ulysses S. Grant, the Union began to win many of the battles including the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864, and the Appomattox Campaign in 1865.  The Battle of Wilderness in 1864 was a later battle in the war and even though it was technically inconclusive, it helped the Union advance.

Sherman's March to the Sea

                                The reasons for the Union winning battles remained fairly consistent and likewise the reasons for the Confederates winning their battles remained fairly consistent.  When the confederates won, it was often due to strong and well thought out defensive tactics, like in the Battle of Chancellorsville and the Battle of Fredericksburg.  In the Battle of Chancellorsville, Lee had the Confederates use aggressive tactics and split up to attack the Union.  Robert E. Lee won many of the battles for the Confederates.  The Confederates also took advantage of opportunities when the Union was unprepared and the Confederates had more supplies such as in the Battle at Fort Sumter.  The Union was running out of supplies at the Fort and had limited ammunition while the Confederates had plenty of ammunition and could continuously fire.  Most of the Union’s wins were when they were under the strong leadership of Ulysses S. Grant.  Also, the Union’s army was much larger than the Confederate’s which helped them win, like at Sherman’s March to the Sea where the Confederacy was forced to retreat.  Both the Confederates and the Union had differing strengths which contributed to their success in battle.

Image: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/shermans-march-sea

Creating an Infographic: The Northern Advantage in the Civil War

                 Using an infographic, we displayed how and why the north had advantages over the south with their strategy and overall success during the civil war.  We chose to include a large, clear title, and short opening paragraph to give an overview of the data and information we were going to be sharing.  For our first piece of data, we made a population graph to clearly and visually show that there were many more people living in the north, which helped the north to have a larger army than the south during the civil war.  The blue represented the Union (the north), and the yellow represented the Confederate (the south).  We included a short caption to explain the significance of our graph.  We then included a primary source image and caption of a train to explain that the north had more railroads than the south which helped to transport goods for the troops.  After the image, we included two graphs to show the advantage the north had economically.  Using a bar graph, it is clear that the north had a much larger value of manufactured goods which helped to keep a stable economy during the war.  There is also a pie chart which is a helpful visual to show the north economically depended on industry while the south largely did not.  The south rather relied on slaves and agriculture.  Finally, we included in a bright color and large font the amount of corn produced in the north.  This showed that the north had a good balance of industry and agriculture and could supply itself with plenty of food.  Using graphs helped to visually show how numbers and statistics were related to the north’s advantage over the south during the civil war.  The infographic also allowed for short captions to be included explaining the graphs.  Creating the graphs helped us also understand the situations faced by the Union and Confederacy by providing a way for us to interpret the data and statistics using visuals.  Using the infographic, the north’s advantage over the south during the civil war for overall success and strategy is clearly displayed.

<script id="infogram_0_the-northern-advantage" src="//e.infogr.am/js/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Conflict and Compromise: Events that Lead Up to the Civil War

                In order to learn about the events that lead up to and contributed to causing the Civil War in the United States, each group chose an event to research.  Our group researched John Brown and Harper’s Ferry.  We first created open ended questions to help guide our research.  We then answered these questions to create an outline for our essay.  We also found primary source images and short texts to analyze.  We then created captions for each source to further explain our event.  The main focus of the project was to show how the event contributed the conflict of the civil war and how it was an attempt (or failure) at compromise; most often between the North and South.  Our final project, a “scrapbook” could be in any digital form we chose.  Our group made a Prezi with our primary sources and captions and a link to our essay on a Google Document.  Each group then viewed the other groups’ projects to learn about the other events and see how they all related and led up to the Civil War.  To process this information, every group made a digital timeline with captions of all the events. 

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