Southern Women and the American Civil War

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Faust's book "Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War". It focuses on how women can empower themselves even in the face of hardship and the oppressions that society puts on them. The author illustrates how the book portrays women coping with adversity and gives a new perspective on the Civil War.

From the Paper:

"According to Faust, three out of every four white men were sent to war and the black men were left to do the work on the plantations. When the war started and the women were left on their own, they first had to choose if they would stay at their plantations or if they would move in with family. The management of the home and their lives became more of a key issue for them than ever before - providing food for themselves and the slaves, economic certainty and so forth. Through the story of Lizzie Neblett we see one woman's frustration with these tasks - she describes her 11 slaves and all the problems she has with them, her anger at her husband and how she doesn't want to be pregnant again, how she must ask a neighbor for help to "manage" her slaves and how her life as a "lady" really is turned upside down when her husband leaves for the war."

More papers on Southern Women and the American Civil War:

• Analytical Essay # 55282 : "The Civil War and Southern Women"
• Term Paper # 122337 : "Slavery and the American Civil War"
• Book Review # 91772 : "Monuments to the Lost Cause"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: