Women of the American Revolution

History is written by the victors…most of the time by men.

So it is hardly surprising that women are given little mention in the telling of the founding of our nation. If students are taught about any women famous for this time, they may have learned about Betsy Ross, who’s given credit for sewing the first flag for the new country.

Or if they had a particularly insightful American History teacher, they may have learned how Abigail Adams, devoted wife of John Adams, became the advisor and confidant of this revolutionary and second president. But that’s about it.

The truth is we know very little about the role women played in the American Revolution, in part because men were recording the events. Of course, women were holding down the homestead, working the farm and raising the children, while their husbands were gone for months or even years fighting battles. But historians are confident women did more, much more. And scholars have been able to uncover details about a few.

One of the most remarkable tales is of Deborah Sampson. Deborah enlisted late in the fight (1782) and did so as a man, Robert Shurtliff. She served in the Massachusetts 4^th Regiment for about seventeen months. She cut her hair, bound her chest and adopted male mannerisms so she could pass muster. She performed camp duties, guard duty, and marched with her unit, fighting in some frontier skirmishes. She was only discovered when she was wounded, a musket ball in her thigh. She received an honorable discharge and even a military pension—though that took her twenty years of petitioning. Quite a woman.

Another woman in the historical records was Margaret Corbin. Margaret, or Molly as she was called, performed a role that many a wife and girlfriend did. She accompanied her husband John Corbin, an artillery man, from camp to camp and battle to battle. She assisted her husband, carrying supplies, caring for the wounded and even helping to load and fire a cannon. Her story is recorded because she was beside her husband in the battle at Ft. Washington, one of the most disastrous battles for the patriots. The colonial army  of about 3000 was attacked by 8000 British and Hessian troops. All colonials were killed, wounded or captured. Margaret’s husband was killed in the action and accounts tell of how she took her husbands’ place at the cannon. In the end, she was captured and later released in a prisoner exchange. She too was awarded a military pension.

And then there is Agent 355.

We don’t know her name, only her number. 355 was a member of the Culper Ring, George Washing’s super spy ring. Her number comes up in recovered correspondence between agents in the ring so we know some of the secrets she helped uncover, like the British scheme to flood the colonies with counterfeit Continental currency. Without a name or background details, historians have argued about her identity, positing several theories. Although they cannot agree on her social status or how she gained access to the secrets, they remained certain that her actions contributed to winning the war. That’s why I chose to give her flesh and blood as my title character, ABIGAIL TRENCH, in my newest novel, a historical thriller that will be published by Diversion Books June 9.

As a long-time educator, I spent much of my career working with women and have developed a true respect for the great work they do as teachers, making a difference in children’s lives, often with no one noticing.

Much like my Abigail Trench of 1776.

Women seldom get the credit they deserve. It was true in 1776 and is still true now, though not as much. My new novel, ABGAIL TRENCH, A NOVEL OF WASHINGTON’S SPY RING, is my homage to consequential women who change lives, sacrifice their own needs for others and make life better, whether anyone ever notices or not.