Women During the Civil War: An Encyclopedia

Judith E. Harper

An invaluable contribution to women's history

About the Author Publication Details/Order Online

Women During the Civil War: An Encyclopedia is the first A-Z reference work to offer a panoramic presentation of the contributions, achievements, and personal stories of American women during one of the most turbulent eras of the nation's history. Incorporating the most recent scholarship as well as excerpts from diaries, letters, newspapers, and other primary source documents, this Encyclopedia encompasses the wartime experiences of famous and lesser-known women of all ethnic groups and social backgrounds throughout the United States during the Civil War era.

With over 120 entries and 61 photographs and illustrations, Women During the Civil War: An Encyclopedia:

Features biographies of famous women including Dorothea Dix and Louisa May Alcott as well as lesser-known women such as Loreta Velaquez, a Cuban-born confederate solider and spy, and Nadine Turchin, a Russian immigrant who served in the Union Army
Includes essays that reveal the worlds of women such as industrial workers, Catholic nuns, prostitutes, and artists
Portrays the experiences and involvement of women during specific battles such as Gettysburg and Vicksburg
Examines the daily and personal lives of women during the war in entries on family life, courtship and marriage, girlhood and adolescence, and education
Presents the lives of not only white women in the North and South but also African-American women born free and in slavery, Native-American and Hispanic-American women, frontier women, and immigrant women
Includes helpful reference tools such as internal cross-references, suggestions for further reading, an extensive bibliography, glossary, and a detailed map of the United States and Confederate States of America

Women During the Civil War: An Encyclopedia dispels the popular perception that women were only involved peripherally in the war effort. Bringing to attention the extraordinary lives and activities of American women, this work demonstrates their vital involvement, thereby presenting a more accurate representation and understanding of the Civil War era.

Judith E. Harper is an independent scholar and professional writer specializing in American history. She is the author of Susan B. Anthony: A Biographical Companion and African-Americans During the Revolutionary War. She has contributed articles to the Encyclopedia of New England Culture, the Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, Gay and Lesbian Biography and Feminist Writers.

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