Women and African Americans in War
Maria Englert, Lauren Hagen, Jessica Wolfgang
Mary Ludwig Hays "Molly Pitcher"
During the Revolutionary War, Mary Hays enlisted as a gunner in the Army. During this time wives were to be near their husbands in war so Mary followed her husband back to New Jersey during the war's Philadelphia Campaign. Mary fought in the battle of Monmouth Freehold, New Jersey, in June on a brutally hot day. Mary's husband was present as well and she made trips to a nearby spring to fill pitchers of cold water for the soldiers to drink and to cool their canons down. She got her nickname "Molly pitcher" from her tireless efforts.
The African Americans in the War
Slaves and free blacks fought for the Continentals and for the British during the Revolutionary War. At Monmouth, African Americans faced each other. That battle did not matter much, nor, at the end of the war, did it much matter for which side blacks bore arms, at least as it concerned their freedom.
A few American slaves for their service to the rebels were rewarded with liberty, but the operative word is few. For the most part, slaves who fought for the rebels remained the property of their masters
More of our Women in the American Revolution
Abigail Adams
Elizabeth Griscom or better known as Betsy Ross
Betsy left her Quaker society to marry John Ross. The couple set up an upholstery business. Her husband died in an explosion while guarding ammunition in January. Later that year, she met with George Washington, George Ross, and Robert Morris. This meeting led to the sewing of the first American flag.
Betsy remarried, this time to a sea captain, who died in an English prison after being captured while obtaining war supplies.
Mercy Otis Warren
Mercy got her start before the War officially began because she wanted to do something to reach the common people with revolutionary ideas. The first Committee of Correspondence was formed in the Warren home. John Adams was impressed with Mercy's writing. She wrote plays poking fun at the British. One was entitled The Blockheads. She could not put her name on the plays, as making fun of the British carried a high price - punishment and possibly jail time. In all, Mercy wrote six plays.