Women and Slavery, touched by the

American Revolution

By: Jessica Arzola; Krystal Arenas; Charis Bulosan; Karla Camarena; David Garcia

In all eventuality following the

American Revolution, both

women and slaves in America were

impacted drastically and irrevocably regarding their social status.

The American Revolution’s impact on both slavery and the status of women in the

period 1775 to 1800Slavery• It gave the African American slaves

opportunities to Escape the bondage and join the army.

• African-American soldiers did enjoy the few things white people took for granted but other than that they only continued to serve as a slave.

• Some slaves managed to escape the during the confusion and chaos of the war and act as a freed slave without being caught and some went out to help others.

• Slavery continued after the war despite the efforts of African-American soldiers. Although slavery didn't undergo any major changes the aftermath of the war inspired many criticisms on slavery.

• A group called the "Quakers" formed to help free a small percentage of slaves.

Women• White women were beginning to proclaim a

public role in society. They were given a lot of wide range roles to further their independence in the war. Women were able to help support the cause which they played an important role in.

• This affected the relations between man and woman to a more bonded level. A woman was not only a wife and a mother but a mutual companion.

• The status of women were in the first stages of gaining independence and liberty.

• Citizens had to be patriotic, moralistic, and of course, virtuous. The ideology of virtue gave women's domestic role much more recognized importance than it previously had had.

• Women took on an important supportive role by boycotting goods and increasing home production. They also became "Deputy Husbands," taking over their husbands' responsibilities while he was away at war.

Document Based

QuestionsSupports Thesis Statement

Counters Thesis Statement

Neutral/ Historical background

Not relevant

Document A- same hardship

Document B- less slavery

Document C- abolitionistsDocument D- slaves educatedDocument E- women opinionDocument F- women boycotting

Document G- Africans still deemed unimportant

Document H- change in women’s rule

Document AThis document shows a verse that slaves often sang; implicitly portraying their insights on religion’s role into their situation

The Document is neutral in account of the slaves’ change in status; they still face hardship, much like before.

Document BThis map shows the slavery population in the 1800s; The whitest area representing little to no slaves owned.

This supports our thesis because slavery lessened overtime, implying the slaves’ status to be better than before

Document C

This document describes a first in our society; a slavery abolition movement.

This is in support of our thesis because it shows the change of not only the status of the slavery, but also how white people viewed the slaves’ status.

Document D

This excerpt describes a little girl who was a slave to a family of Wheatleys. This girl was taught how to read and write and eventually, her work began appearing in newspapers.

This is in support of our thesis because it shows the change in the slaves’ status of not being educated.

Document EThis illustration is a letter of Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams in the spring of 1777. She describes a ‘life lost’ and a brief opinion on matters about it.

This document supports the thesis that there was a change in women’s status because this shows a shared opinion, which is of value to her husband, and, though subtly, displays equality.

Document F

This document describes women in the summer of 1777 who boycotted tea in response to its wartime prices.

This supports our thesis because it shows women who stood up against a cause. They participated more in movements, which says a lot about their status changing.

Document G

This illustration shows a foundation that says ‘slavery’ at the bottom with a white hat and white coat sitting atop it, portraying the idea of white men ruling over slaves.

This counters our thesis statement because just as before, the slaves are still looked down upon and deemed less important and insignificant.

Document H

This document explains a change in women’s part and role to play in the 1790’s.

This supports our thesis because it shows the change in women’s status in terms of what their role is, which by in this time period, is more than just being a baby maker and feeder.

Bibliography• Collins, Gail. America's Women. New York, NY:

HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. 77.• Collins, Gail. America's Women. New York, NY:

HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. 80.• Harris, Middleton. The Black Book. 35th Anniversary

Edition. United States: Random House Publishing Goup, 2009. 28.

• Hogan, Margaret, and James Taylor. Dear Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams. First Harvard University press paperback edition, 2010. United States: 2007.

• Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the life of a slave girl. New York: Barnes & Noble books, 2005. 81.

• Kagan, Neil. "Slavery." Atlas of the Civil War. Washington DC: National Geographic Society, 2009.

• Smith, Jessie Carney. Black Firsts. 2nd edition, revised and expanded. MI: Visible Ink Press, 2003. 115.

• Stansell, Christine. The Feminist Promise. United States: Modern Library, 2010. 13.