As I have been researching diversity and the history of the 4th of July this month, I found a lot of stories about how diverse people played important roles. Many of these people were women who stayed home while their sons and husbands were out fighting in the Revolutionary War. Stories are sometimes more relatable to a reader than sitting down and reading a history book.
Diversity in our history
Just like the men went to war to fight for the independence from Britain, women also participated in the war effort. Sometimes the things they did weren’t even known about until years later, because men didn’t think that women were even capable of doing these things.
A book which was a great resource and inspiration for this post is called Spies, Soldiers, Couriers, & Saboteurs: Women of the American Revolution by K.M. Waldvogel. The dedication of this book speaks to the things that these women did.
“This book is dedicated to all of the women- known and unknown- who helped our country gain its independence. They saw a need and stepped forward, risking their freedom and their lives for the country that they loved.”
Let’s take a look at a couple of the stories in the book
“Secret Codes and Petticoats”
In this story, Anna Smith Strong helped out the war effort through doing laundry. Not by actually washing laundry for the war effort, but hanging it on the line to dry in a certain way to give a message to her neighbor, Abraham Woodhull, that a certain boat was off the Long Island coast.
She was motivated to help as her husband Selah was arrested by the British for being seen as a traitor. She went to visit him in prison. Upon his release, he and the children moved to Connecticut to stay with other family members, while she stayed in New York to watch over their property.
“The Weight on Her Shoulders”
Mammy Kate was a slave in Georgia who was treated well by her master. He was captured by the British and was due to be hanged for being a traitor. She came to visit him and bring him clean laundry. When asked by a guard why she was doing it, she replied
“Well, he can at least be wearin’ clean clothes when it happens.”
She began doing laundry for the British officers and Tories. She became a regular visitor there and wasn’t seen as a threat. One day, she came in with clean laundry and came out with a heavier basket. Can you guess what she did?
“The Quaker Spy”
According to the British Quartering Act, colonists were required to house feed the British troops and their horses. They had no choice but to accommodate them.
Lydia Darragh and her family were told to stay in their rooms after bedtime, so the British officers could talk about their plans. Lydia felt compelled to leave her room and listen in on their plans. She overheard a key piece of information that would put her son and others in danger. under a ruse of needing to get flour from the mill, she took the message to a friend who also sympathized with the American side of things in the war. She asked him to take the message to General Washington. That message helped them to win a battle that would have been a surprise attack.
Please be sure to pick up a copy of the book, Spies, Soldiers, Couriers, & Saboteurs: Women of the American Revolution by K.M. Waldvogel from Amazon or Bookshop.org, a way to buy from indie bookstores online, to read more stories about amazing women who helped the war effort.
If you would like to learn more about the author, K.M. Waldvogel, check out her website.
Women and Diversity
Diversity isn’t just racial. Around the time of the Revolutionary War and for a long time after, society viewed women as not having the same abilities as men. But, by putting their lives on the line, women showed they could play some important roles in helping win the war. Not only women, but in Mammy Kate’s case, Black woman.
Different isn’t bad, it is just different. Whether the difference is gender, race, mental, physical or location driven, we see that all people can contribute to our society. As long as we include them.
Looking for resources for diversity or other issues that teens face? Check out our Resources page.
The Street’s Way – teen homelessness through a diverse main character
Looking for a good teen read about Teen Homelessness where the main character is female and Native American? Why not check out The Street’s Way?
Whether it is positive or negative, reading a book about how someone else deals with a challenge can help us. Not only to see that other people face the same challenges, but give us an idea on how to deal with it ourselves.
The Street’s Way is the third book in The Way Series by Selma P. Verde. It is the story of Mikala Kalani and how she navigates leaving home with no place to stay. See how she follows the referrals from the people she meets to find a way to survive in Manor City. Follow the link below to pick up your copy today.
The Way Series – Selma P. Verde