The Revolutionary War

Paper Summary:

The American Revolution involved all levels of the society in the colonies at the time in some capacity, whether as rebels or as Tories supporting the British. By looking at the story of Joseph Plumb Martin ("Ordinary Courage", edited by historian James Kirby Martin), the paper shows that the soldier in the Revolutionary War was much like the soldier in any modern war, feeling the same longing for an end to the conflict, the same homesickness, the same fear and the same determination not to let the enemy win. The paper also looks at the history of the Revolutionary period in Ray Raphael's "A People's History of the American Revolution". By examining both these sources, the paper shows the many different levels of American society caught up in the war, some of the forces that unleashed it and many of the consequences for the people of the time and for later generations.

From the Paper:

"Raphael notes that efforts were made to engender a sense of patriotic fervor in women precisely to keep them working while the men left home to fight. The most direct role women were given in the war was as nurses, and as Raphael writes, "When men fell wounded or ill, they expected women to nurse them back to health" (Raphael 110). Raphael finds that there is considerable evidence that women heeded the patriotic call and worked to keep the farms in operation and other businesses going while the men were away. Part of this effort involved the political awakening of these women, for they had long been excluded from public life and now had to step forward and engage in political action and debate."

More papers on The Revolutionary War:

• Research Paper # 1105 : "The Revolutionary War and the African-American Soldier"
• Term Paper # 146576 : "Military Tactics in the Revolutionary War"
• Essay # 27529 : "Why the British Lost the Revolutionary War"
• Analytical Essay # 109184 : "The Revolutionary War"

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