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For
the most part, the events of the Civil War center on the
decisions and actions of men. So why are so many contemporary
women becoming reenactors, writers and readers of Civil
War texts, or otherwise enthusiasts of the American Civil
War?
Guest
writer Meg Galante-DeAngelis shares her thoughts about what
brings history, the Civil War, and women together.
History
has always been an integral part of the everyday lives of
women. Who knows better when you lost your first tooth or
said your first word? Who knows the names of family members,
long since passed, who smile or peer expressionlessly from
that dimming photograph? This is not coincidental, but rather
an essential part of the passage of the oral history of common
life. It is critical for us to remember this shared past.
It is this weaving of the passage of the common life that
binds us to those before us and spins a thin thread toward
those who will come after us.
Women's
interest in the Civil War is about making sense of the shared
experience. Women's interests vary as much as the women themselves.
But they do not stop with an interest in the etiquette, clothing
and material culture of the times. Women today, just as their
foremothers, are interested in every aspect of the Civil
War. Women were involved in every venue of the War - they
fought on the battlefields, nursed the wounded, buried the
dead, provided food and clothing, raised money, made flags,
and took over the many jobs that the men left behind. They
prayed and sang and worried. They cared for the children
and the veterans. They supported the war effort with their
words and deeds. They made the ordinary extraordinary by
devoting their all to the war effort. And we, today are interested
in it all - in the lives of the men and women, from the battlefield
to the homefront.
It
is to this shared experience that The Society for Women and
the Civil War is dedicated. Our members are a diverse community
of independent and affiliated researchers, scholars and students
of all disciplines, genealogists, reenactors, authors, archivists,
museum professionals, librarians, artists, performers, storytellers,
teachers of all age students, historians and other chroniclers
of history. The SWCW is a membership organization dedicated
to recognizing women's efforts, both those who lived through
the war, and those who, today, research, reenact or otherwise
continue to honor them.
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