The American Revolution was a turning point in history from many perspectives. Not only did America gain its independence from Britain, but the entire government paradigm the world over underwent significant changes. The introduction of democratic ideas would, one would expect, result in new rights for previously oppressed groups, females among them. Women floated upon the tumultuous tide of revolution and democratic ideals, rising from the murky depths to the very shores of social, economic, and political reform. However, the journey was a hard one, and despite their constant and earnest efforts, they were left stranded amongst the breaking waves, still a long and difficult journey away from the distant and lofty peaks of true universal equality. In short, advances in women's rights during and after the revolution were disproportionate to their contributions.

It hardly needs to be argued that women were generally an oppressed and mistreated group during the colonial period. They were seen as little better than cattle, slaves, or some other property, to be used or misused as the occasion required. In marriage, the woman entered into a contract that basically amounted to indentured servitude. Her husband would supply monetary support, while she would provide her services around the home. And, again like an indentured servant, her rights in this contract were severely limited (Doc A). Divorce was almost unheard-of; if a woman was unhappy, she had to simply bear it. Those who used the only alternative, running away, were publicly lambasted. Husbands would advertise for runaway wives on the same bulletin boards that held announcements of escaped slaves or livestock, often taking the opportunity to publicly disgrace their mate with usually-untrue accusations of infidelity (Doc A). Obviously, women were not allowed any of the higher privileges granted men, such as voting. A woman's place was in the home and nowhere else, doing what her husband instructed her and nothing else. They were "denied ... the advantage of a liberal education, forbid[den] ... to exercise their talents on those great occasions [law-making], which would serve to improve them." (Doc L) Small wonder that they should begin to grow discontented with their lot. Clearly things needed improvement, but changes have never happened overnight, and an opportunity was needed to force this new societal mold upon unwilling men.

This opportunity came in the form of the Revolutionary War. The introduction of democratic ideas created a turmoil which turned every established social structure on its ear. People were unusually open to new suggestions, eager to oust the old in exchange for the new, no matter what that "new" might be. Finding itself suddenly an independent nation fighting for its rights, America was forced to establish new precedents; everyone served as best they could. Women, in particular, were essential to war efforts. "Nothing better illustrates the impact of war on American society than the extensive participation of women." (Doc K) It is questionable that we could have succeeded without them, for two key reasons. First, being the rulers of the domestic domain, they were the chief consumers of the time, and therefore exercised significant control over the import market. Many women were of the attitude "that rather than freedom [they] part with [their] tea." (Doc B) They therefore gave up luxuries that would normally be taken for granted, including fine cloths, tea, sugar, and fashionable clothes, replacing them with crude handmade colonial substitutes (Doc D). The second reason they were so essential to American victory was that, despite being oppressed, they still made up more than half, of the population, and they were actively involved in supplying materials, goods, and time to the Army. Organizations such as the Daughters of Liberty were as ready as their male counterparts to deal swift vengeance to the less patriotic (Doc H). They "thr[ew] in [their] mite [sic] to the public good" with a variety of self-sacrificing acts (Doc G). Some trailed behind the army, serving as laundresses, nurses, cooks, provisioners, and camp-followers. Some served in battle by carrying water and cleaning canons. Some took advantage of their gender to serve as spies and messages. Many women provided lodging for officers or allowed homes to be used as prisons or hospitals. Those with the greatest courage, Deborah Sampson being the most notable, disguised themselves as men and fought alongside their true oppressors (Doc J). It is clear that their contributions amounted to a significant portion of American sacrifice in the name of independence.

However, the gains made by women were not equal to those made by the "stronger" sex, despite equal effort. While they were allowed to vote briefly in New Jersey, this right was quickly rescinded (Doc F). It seems, at the time at least, that the democratic idea "that every Individual of the Community, old and young, male and female, as well as rich and poor, must consent, expressly to every Act of Legislation" was, as John Adams said, "impossible." (Doc E) The momentum required to make such sweeping changes was simply nonexistent. Men would not consent so readily to what was mockingly called the "Despotism of the Peticoat [sic]." (Doc E) Despite that, women didn't emerge from the Revolution entirely empty-handed. They had gained tools which, while not obvious at the time, would aid them later in their own fight for equality and independence. Among these was a sense of independence and self-worth. With the men gone to serve the Army, women found themselves managing businesses, conducting affairs, and organizing events, jobs normally delegated to the man. They earned the sub-conscious realization that they were in fact capable of handling male-stereotypical duties, their gender notwithstanding. Had they not had the chance to flex their muscle, it might have been much longer before they realized there was any muscle to flex (Doc K). Not only that, but women received new respect as Americans realized that the moral fiber of the country which had served it so well in its formative years was passed on through women, not men, in the raising and education of children. This seems obvious, but until that point, women were thought of as evil and sinful by nature, if anything. That they could be responsible for upholding the values of society, "Republican Motherhood," as it was called, was an entirely new notion. And it earned them a place of honor, if not equality, in the American heart.

Even with these small gains, it would still be a long time before any significant strides were made towards rights for women. Oppression and mistreatment occurred almost as much after the war as before, but women had gained a realization of what their role could be. They fought an uphill battle, pouring themselves whole-heartedly into the fight for independence and gaining nothing but the merest glimpse at the shimmering mirage of equality.