Srinidhi+A.+-+FRQ1+-+SP12

Srinidhi Alur Mr.Wimmer A.P U.S History 2/01/12  Since the dawn of the New World, men have always been perceived as the more predominant figures in history and society. The Revolutionary War Era was no exception. And although some women had worked in the background, during the mid-18th century, women were considered more as “domesticated beings” than equals, making them seem inferior to men. During the colonial time period, a women’s duty was confined to the home and taking care of the family, leaving them no fundamental role in society. It was men who were the main leaders during this era, whether in politics or combat, leading me to concede that men were more central to the success of colonists in the American Revolution.
 * Were men or women more central to the success of colonists in the American Revolution? **

 The fate of women during the American Revolution was not their fault, rather more the fault of the mindset of that era. As stated before, colonies during this time period believed that a women’s duty was confined to home and taking care of the family, based off of “religion, law, and biology” ( Gelles ). Women’s education was not equal to that of men’s education. Although, there were several small schools for women, they were private and incredibly exclusive. A women’s education mostly consisted of how to be a good mother. But, while men were off fighting during the Revolutionary War, women had to take over households and become “deputy husbands”(  Gelles ). Soon, a few colonial women started to envision themselves differently. One of these visionaries was none other than Abigail Adams, the wife of one of the members of the Continental Congress at that time. She expressed her new experience of running a household by telling her husband (John Adams) to “Remember the Ladies”(  Gelles ) in the code of laws that would soon govern the new nation.

 Abigail was one of the few women who out rightly believed that women deserved the same education as men, so women could live more fully and thoughtfully. Abigail also believed that women deserved some rights to property. A women’s property would all go directly to their husband after marriage. Women did not even own their own labors or earnings. After, if the husband and wife were to split or divorce, the husband would legally get to keep the children. Abigail out rightly detested these, but even the few strong women, like Abigail, were paid no heed by leaders during this era. No matter how revolutionary these ideas were they were very faint in the background of the uprising of the new country. It would still be several years before women would be seen as more than “domesticated beings”(  Gelles ).

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> One of the main reasons why the American Revolution was such a success was because there were many brilliant masterminds behind it, almost all of them essentially men. One of these revolutionaries was George Washington. If not for him, the colonies would most likely have not gained independence. Although his record was not outstanding, he proved to be an incredible leader and motivator for the troops. Though inexperienced, he was able to train 14,000 undisciplined men and lead them to battle after battle. Even when they were wary and tired, he was patient and rallied his men up. He lead one of the most famous and crucial victories of the war on Christmas night of 1776, when they captured Trenton New Jersey by stealthily crossing the Delaware River and pulling a surprise attack on the enemy. Then later in 1781, Washington combined forces with the French and successfully executed the Yorktown Campaign, which was the American victory. George Washington was one of the many outstanding men who brought victory for America during the American Revolution.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> Another exemplary character who proves that men were more central to the success of the American Revolution would be Ben Franklin. Although not a fighter, he proved to be an extraordinary thinker and planner, one of the greatest of our time. He was able to “secure aid of various kinds from certain friendly nations” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Franklin's <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">). If not for his diplomacy, tact, and common sense, the revolutionary war would have been an utter disaster. He was the official diplomat for the 13 colonies during the early parts of war and resided in France, who later provided the crucial aid needed for the American victory. In the winter of 1777 to 1778, Ben Franklin wrote an extensive letter to George Washington about Baron Von Steuban, an important leader at Valley Forge. When George Washington accepted his help, he proved to be thoroughly dependable, helping train the soldiers and changing the tide of the war. It is because of Ben Franklin, that the new nation was shaped the way it was. Ben Franklin dedicated his extremely useful skills to aid the success of the American Revolution.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"> The revolutionary men are some of the few out of many who determined the success of the American Revolution. During this era, women barely had a say in anything and although they upheld the households during the war, they fundamentally played a little part. It was not their fault that they played such little of a role, it was merely the mindset of that time period. Men played a major role in the success of the American Revolution, from diplomacy to warfare, shaping the way our nation is today. It was chiefly because of these brilliant master minds, our founding fathers, that our nation was born.

Work Cited:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Franklin's Contributions to the American Revolution as a Diplomat in France." //ushistory.org//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/history/franklin.html>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Gelles, Edith. "The American Revolution." //U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nps.gov/revwar/unfinished_revolution/women.htm>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"The American Revolution - (George Washington)." //The American Revolution - (Home)//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2012. <http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/peopledetail.aspx?people=1>.