The Many Roles of Southern Women in the War

Despite their popular depiction as fragile, feminine matriarchs, white Southern women of the Civil War era often occupied roles that extended far beyond their homes. From the young woman who kept a diary record of her town's occupation by Union forces to the soldier who kept her identity as a woman hidden to enlist, women in the South pushed gender boundaries to contribute to the Confederate cause. This video from the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia gives a broad overview of the many facets of women's roles during the Civil War.