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Women of the Civil War

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In history, women were seen as inferior to men and their opinions and hard work were often dismissed. Before the Civil War, the extent of women's jobs were taking care of the house, producing offspring, and raising the family. Women took on important roles in the war including nurses, spies, and soldiers. The women who did this had to forget about the stereotypical idea of women and fight for what they believed in. Because of the womens tireless work and determination as nurses, spies, and soldiers during the Civil War, women and mens opinions of them changed greatly. While it may not have been an acceptable occupation for women at the time, there were many who were nurses during the time of the Civil War. During the war, most of the nurses were male, but there were thousands of female nurses that helped change the image of professional nursing. It changed from a male dominated profession to a largely female profession (Steven E. Woodworth 33). Men in the war didn't approve of women being nurses because it wasnt seen as an acceptable job for them. Many Northern and Southern women served as nurses in the Civil War despite the objections from men. Dorothea Dix is a prime example of a woman who attributed to the thousands of female nurses during the war. Dix was very aware of the bias against females becoming nurses, so when she became an official in the war, she made a list of standards for female hospital applicants to reassure officials and the public that the women who were to be nurses met the new qualifications she had set up (Louise Chipley Slavicek 29). Thanks to Dixs hard work to change the view of female nurses, from 1863 and beyond, thousands of women were hired by chief medical officers of the multiple military hospitals that were being built in the North (Louise Chipley Slavicek 30). Mary Edwards Walker, like Dorothea Dix, was a female nurse in the Civil War that helped change the worlds view on their work. Walker volunteered as a nurse for many months in military hospitals in Washington D.C and was then sent to Tennessee to be the Union Army's first and only female surgeon (Louise Chipley Slavicek 22). While she was an assistant surgeon with the Army of the Cumberland, she failed to win the approval and acceptance from her male colleagues, but by the end of the war she was awarded with the Congressional Medal of Honor. (Louise Chipley Slavicek 22). Walker, like all the other female nurses during the war, showed her ability to work along men and achieve just as much as they could. Clara Barton was also another very successful female nurse during the time of the Civil War. Barton was a volunteer nurse during the war and volunteered at the Washington Infirmary to care for wounded soldiers (Clara Barton). All through the war, Barton traveled with wagons full of supplies and delivered them to the Union soldiers who had been wounded. Her experience and supplies were welcomed greatly at the Battle of Antietam (Clara Barton). Her supplies helped the surgeons there who had little to work with, and she organized groups of people to perform first aid, carry water, and make food for the wounded soldiers. Due to the inspiration and hard work that Dix, Walker, and Barton showed during the war, nursing changed into a female occupation after the war had ended. The war let men see and accept the fact that women, just like men, could

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