An Alabama "gunboat" quilt made in 1861 by Martha Jane Hatter. The Civil War presented Southern women with the opportunity to fraternize with one another as they never had before. With their husbands gone to war, many women chose to form organizations to raise funds for the war effort. Women who had little to no experience in public activism formed Soldiers' Aid Societies and Ladies' Gunboat Funds, then sold their products, like this quilt, to support Confederate needs. In this way, Southern women combined their learned skills as homemakers with a newfound outlet for public activism.
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