Week 9 Blog Post Part 3

Week 9 Blog Post Part 3

Drew Gilpin Faust, “Sick and Tired of This Horrid War”: Faust wrote an excellent essay on a perspective of the Civil War not often discussed – how the war affected Confederate women. (P & T, 256-266) Women’s history classes often espouse upon how women found self-confidence and independence by entering the public sphere via patriotic activities. Faust emphasizes that Confederate women discovered a new sense of self by becoming exasperated and exhausted by the demands of self-sacrifice and self-denial during the war. They had to think of themselves in order to survive. Feminine nurturing could only be stretched so far in the face of starvation, fear, and depression. Stress is a psychological and physiological disrupter in all types of conflicts with was being one of the worst. Throughout history, the blame for nervous breakdowns has often been placed upon the women themselves instead of the external causes. Although this is less true today, the perception still exists that we can “fix ourselves” simply with a “more positive attitude.” During the Civil War, a positive attitude became impossible when the Confederate women were increasingly faced with malnutrition as well as inadequate heat, clothing, and sanitation. Science has since confirmed that these depredations cause biochemical changes in the body that adversely affect the mind’s ability to cope. It is no wonder that the women became depressed and had attacks of hysteria, wanting the war to end no matter who won. I am sure that I would have felt the same way if I had been able to survive.

Amy Murrell Taylor, “Southern Families and Their Appeals for Protection”: In her essay, Taylor points out that the petitioners for discharges and exemptions from war service emphasized their patriotism and the sacrifices that their families had already made. I believe that they did this both because it was true as well as to increase the likelihood that their requests would be granted. Taylor gives us several examples of the hardships these families faced and appalling number of sons the petitioning mothers lost in the war. It was important to the Confederate war effort to have at least one man left behind to manage the farm or plantation. Taylor refuted the belief that the Southerners were just being selfish or unpatriotic. (P & T, 270) Due to the necessity to safeguard their family, women became more aware of law and politics. They knew what the exemption laws were and quoted them in their letters. (P & T, 272) Taylor concludes her essay by stating that the Southern citizens were “writing not to protest … but to negotiate.” (P & T, 275)

Written by Molly Kettler