BEYOND THE HOMEFRONT IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY: SOUTHERN WHITE WOMEN, THE CIVIL WAR, AND EXPANDING GENDER ROLES

Abstract

In my paper I am exploring how the experiences of women during the American Civil War influenced social change. I explore how the war aided in changing the roles and perceptions of women after the war as compared to before. Through researching both primary sources and secondary sources I hope to prove that the experiences of women on the home-front during the war influenced how their lives changed and how and why those changes continued after the war. I used secondary sources to explore the differences in social roles and expectations of women before and after the war. I used primary sources to provide examples of experiences of women as written in their diaries, or as reported by newspapers. I used this material as evidence for how the experience of women during the Civil War effected the lives of women during and after the war, and accelerated the advancement of women in society.