Question 1:

Why did women give so much to help men in the army when they did not care to think they were important politically or allow them to serve themselves?

On page 265 of the textbook it states “The most common battlefield role of women was the nurse- the “angel” of the battlefield who comforted wounded and dying soldiers, representing domestic tranquility in the midst of the armed conflict…female nurses had to fight their own kinds of battles with male medical officers for the opportunity to serve.” Clearly the nurturing aspect of taking care of the wounded and sick was associated as a woman’s duty early on which made them great nurses. But women with that even had to fight for that opportunity to be apart of the aiding of soldiers in the army.

But with the war, women struggled. As mentioned on page 248, “Women struggled to support their families without the aid of husbands, sons, and brothers.” So with that, the war had a large effect on women back in their hometown, which therefore had them demand more support for their families from the confederate government.

If women were so willing to work, and try to support themselves why weren’t Men/the government more in favor of supporting these women with that choice? I know that a huge issue included men not believing that women were capable to handle work, or not skilled enough but the women were so subordinate to men yet when it came to them needing something then they had faith that they were good at their job.

Question 2:

How do you think men viewed the roles of women after the war? Do you think women received the credit they deserved?

Women had long been seen as stay at home mothers before World War Two and only that. The stereotypical, perfect American family had the father that brought home the bacon each day during the week and the mother who raised their children. The fact of the matter is, women always worked outside the house but it just wasn’t glorified as much. These women were usually in the lower class or the minority and many men did not have the best attitude toward them. A male could better suit their jobs, the men believed. During WWII all of this changed and a revolution in the work force was eventually seen. Numbers of women working outside the home rose exponentially and they thought they were there to stay. Women also played a large role in the military, which had never been seen before. Gender roles had changed in the modern world; women throughout the nation made a huge impact on the Second World War efforts. The question is, do you believe men believed women deserve stronger roles after the war and did they receive the credit they deserved?