M6 Assignment: Historical Research Paper Final Project

Ramic 2

US History to the Civil War

Fiki Ramic

Professor Krutsinger

HIS121

03/29/2021

The Contribution of Women in the Civil War

My topic will be the role of women in the US civil war. Although men are known to be in the frontline in times of war, women were highly involved in the US civil war, whether directly or indirectly. The topic seeks to address issues of women's involvement in times of war, including their direct roles and the effect of the war on them. Comment by Krutsinger, Cynthia (CCCS): Capitalize all words of a proper noun (PN) Comment by Krutsinger, Cynthia (CCCS): PN

Sources I Might Find and Where

The information about women in the civil war can be found in historical publications and other accredited historical materials in the national and institutional libraries. National libraries are endowed with historical materials, especially in the archives section, where most historical books, articles, and artifacts are preserved. Besides the materials in the archives, other books, journals, and publications contain historical data and information about such events. The information will also be obtained from diaries and letters such as the American South's manuscripts and the American South's first-person narratives. Newspapers such as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the Harper's Weekly, and Chronicling America will also be used as sources of information about women and the civil war. Other sources such as e-libraries and books, articles and journals on the internet will also provide information on the topic. Comment by Krutsinger, Cynthia (CCCS): PN Comment by Krutsinger, Cynthia (CCCS): Italicize newspaper titles.

Apart from written materials, information on the topic will be sourced from historians and other people who may have interacted with the history of civil war (Choperena, 2021). Such people can be interviewed and would give crucial information about the subject. Stories of such major events are usually handed down the generations, especially in the affected areas. Therefore, data and information will be sourced from elderly members of the communities who live in the areas that were most affected.

Arguments I Might be Able to Make

Women, just like men, can make a significant contribution to the struggle for freedom. Although society normally subordinates them, women are not inferior. They are strong, organized, and creative, looking at how they strategized and executed their strategy during the civil war (Krakowski, 2020). Besides, women can contribute to the world outside the home as they would at home. Women are resilient and have the power to change traditions and cultures that usually hold them back. In the civil war, women pushed for permission to be involved in the front line by supplying food and other items to the troops and getting involved with the soldiers in the field as they took care of their welfare. Their relentless effort yielded, and they were allowed through the creation of the US Sanitary Commission.

Anticipated Challenges

Access to data and information may be difficult as it will require obtaining permission from various institutions to access their libraries. Most of the people who were directly involved in the civil war are no longer alive. They would be the most appropriate to source primary information about the civil war. Obtaining accurate, firsthand information might therefore be difficult.

References

Choperena, A. (2021). Triumphal narratives in the American Civil War: A new nursing professional identity. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(3), 1422-1431. Comment by Krutsinger, Cynthia (CCCS): You need the electronic information (permalink) and don’t forget to italicize journal titles.

Krakowski, K. (2020). Pulled together or torn asunder? Community cohesion after symmetric and asymmetric civil war. Journal of conflict resolution, 64(7-8), 1470-1498.

Fiki, in general this is a really good topic. You are going to need to narrow it down a bit though. Some ways you might do this is to focus on either women in the North or the South or to focus on one role that women held in the war – for example as nurses. While you are correct in your discussion of things like interviews as sources, you are going to be better off focusing on written sources for this – both in terms of time to complete the project and in terms of a paper that’s only 5 - 7 pages double spaced. Here’s just one location you might start with while looking for sources: https://cnu.libguides.com/psuscivilwar/women.