National Park Service

Women in the War

grades	4, 5, 6

subjects	language arts, social studies, women’s studies

time allotted	45–60 minutes

setting	classroom

group size	no limit, groups of 4–5 students

skills	communication, problem solving, analysis and application

methods	Students read, discuss and make judgements about true dilemmas that women faced during the Civil War.

materials	Dilemma cards, paper and pencil

Objectives
At the end of this activity, students will be able to:

	Examine their own values and beliefs.

	Listen to and respect the rights of others with different values and beliefs.

	Evaluate possible actions based on various values and beliefs.

	Describe the activities of women soldiers, spies, nurses and others during the Civil War.

Background Information
Many women chose to play an active role in the Civil War. Some women, disguised as men, enlisted and fought side by side with their husbands and brothers while others chose to work as nurses in army hospitals, or as spies, couriers, smugglers, and chroniclers. All of these activities were considered at the time “Male” occupations. Women were considered to be pious and pure at heart and responsible for moral education. Their “sphere” or accepted role was that of domesticity. Anything that strayed from that sphere was considered improper.

The Civil War allowed women to step outside their sphere because they needed to fill the voids that were vacated bymen. Northern and Southern women suddenly found themselves overwhelmed with assuming the role as “head of the household” and being thrust into making decisions that they normally never partook.

The women in this activity are the exceptions to the rules of the 1860s. As traditional roles were being modified, some women expanded their domestic roles into nursing and other activities occupied by males. The dilemmas that faced these women would be tough choices for anyone to make but during the Civil War the decision was difficult because gender was involved. Hospital work and nursing were eventually viewed as expansions of the domestic sphere. Women were not suspected of spying and other secret activities because of their moral behavior, which worked to the advantage of those involved in such activities.

Activities

	Explain that this activity will require decision making about some difficult situations that actually happened during the Civil War. It is not the intent of the activity to prescribe any right or wrong answers, but to provide an opportunity for students to express, clarify and take responsibility for their own reasoning. It is not necessary for the students to reach a consensus, as there are many legitimate actions for each situation.

	Copy the dilemma cards. You may want to have them laminated or glue them onto an index card.

	Pick one card to use as your example and to demonstrate instructions for students’ small group discussion. Read the dilemma out loud to the class and without group discussion have the students write a short paragraph about how they feel about the situation and what they would do about it. Try to wait until the end of the activity to reveal that the characters are women.

	Next, divide the students into groups of four or five and hand each group a dilemma card. One student should read the situation aloud to the others in the group and then tell how he or she would handle the dilemma describing the reasoning behind the choice. In turn, each of the other students should share with the group their ideas on how to best handle the situation.

	After a set amount of time, tell each group to pick a spokesperson to report to the class and have a class discussion about each dilemma. Some possible questions might be: Were they able to all agree on what they would do? Did their values change after listening to others viewpoints? Was there enough information to make a decision?

	Reveal that all these dilemmas were true situations that some women faced during the Civil War. Using the background information provided, share the problems and how each woman coped with the situation. Be sure to explain that these women were exceptions to the rule and that made their choices even more difficult.

	View the dilemma cards

	Download a PDF of this lesson

Follow-up Activities

	“It Wasn’t the Bullet” activity and “Coded Messages” activity in this guide

	Have students write their own dilemmas and use for another class period

	Use the dilemma cards for a debate

Resources
Garrison, Webb. Amazing Women of the Civil War. Nashville, TN. Rutledge Hill Press, 1999.

Western Regional Environmental Education Council, 1992, Project WILD Activity Guide, “Ethi-Reasoning.”

Smith, Shelly J. and Jeanne M. Moe, Kelly A. Letts, Danielle M. Patterson Intrigue of the Past, Project Archeology Activity Guide,1996, “Artifact Ethics.”

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	The Battle of Stones River


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			The battle at Stones River claimed more than 23,500 casualties making it one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Stones River National Battlefield stands today as a silent reminder of those individuals who lost their lives there.