Growing Possibilities, Same Societal Shackles: Women's Role in the Civil War

This thesis project will examine the role women played in the progression of the Civil War and how their actions affected their independence. Women assisted the war efforts in various ways, from serving as nurses to masquerading as men to fight on the frontlines. However, women were also considered to have hindered the war in a variety of ways, such as encouraging desertion or distracting the soldiers in their homes. While women were given more opportunities and thus ways to affect the war, the stance on women’s rights had not changed. Women were still expected to maintain the expectations of society while assisting with the war effort. This thesis project will generate a greater understanding of the gender dynamics involved in the Civil War and an in-depth analysis of women’s changing roles in wartime America. Historians would benefit from the results of this thesis project as it provides a deeper look at the involvement and perspective of women during the Civil War.