Women of the American Revolution

Women of the American Revolution written by Samantha Wilcoxson and published

by Pen & Sword Books - £20 -Hardback - Pages 192

Women of the American Revolution will explore the trials of war and daily life for women in

the United States during the War for Independence. What challenges were caused by the

division within communities as some stayed loyal to the king and others became patriots?

How much choice did women have as their loyalties were assumed to be that of their

husbands or fathers? The lives of women of the American Revolution will be examined

through an intimate look at some significant women of the era. Some names will be familiar,

such as Martha Washington who travelled to winter camps to care for her husband and rally

the troops or Abigail Adams who ran the family’s farms and raised children during John’s

long absences. Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton is popular for her role in Hamilton the musical,

but did you know she was also an early activist working tirelessly for multiple social causes?

Decide for yourself if the espionage of Agent 355 or the ride of Sybil Ludington are history or

myth. Not all American women served the side of the revolutionaries. Peggy Shippen

gambled on the loyalist side and paid severe consequences. From early historian Mercy Otis

Warren to Dolley Madison, who defined what it means to be a US First Lady, women of the

American Revolution strived to do more than they had previously thought possible during a

time of hardship and civil war.

At long last, I get a book to review on one of my favourite subjects, American history. This

book Women of the American Revolution looks at the leaders or those that were particularly

strident in a number of causes around the American Revolution. I liked this book due to the

wide variety of women mentioned as it was a broad spectrum both for and against

independence. We read about Martha Washington and Elizabeth Hamilton and also we

should mention Agent 355. I enjoyed the book and found it well written and balanced but

also it helped me learn more about people I hadn’t known about. A good thought out read.