When I was growing up, I often heard the quote “Behind every good man is a good woman.” Pamela Murrow wrote about 10 good women in the Journal of the American Revolution.
The first woman she mentioned is the mother of George Washington, Mary Ball Washington. Mary was widowed at the age of 35 when George was 7 years old. She is credited with having a profound influence on forming the values by which George chose to live.
Martha Curtis Washington became indispensable as comfort to her husband, George, and the soldiers that reported to him. She arrived at Valley Forge with supplies from their farm when soldiers were searching for food. She set up a sewing circle from officers’ wives and tended to sick soldiers. One witness wrote that Martha worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk when she stayed at Valley Forge.
Lucy Flucker Knox fell in love with Henry Knox when she was 14. Her family was loyal to the king and disowned her when she married a Patriot. Lucy joined Henry at Valley Forge with their two-year-old child and tended sick and hungry soldiers. Lucy and Henry traveled from camp to camp during the long war and never were able to purchase a home of their own until they had been married for 20 years.
Abigail Adams stayed in Braintree managing the family farm and raising their children as her husband, John, served in the Second Continental Congress and the war effort. At that time, it was unusual for a woman to handle business affairs like trading livestock and overseeing the operation of a farm. Abigail also served as an unofficial advisor to her husband and reminded him to “remember the women” as he helped draft the new laws for a new country. She wrote extensively to her husband and wanted the letters to be saved so future generations would understand the trials of the time. (By contrast, Martha Washington wanted her correspondence with George to be burned because she wanted some privacy and thought the public knew too much about them.)
Margaret Moore Berry volunteered as a scout for the American forces. She was crucial in warning the militia of British activities in South Carolina. She rounded up the militia, including her husband, to support the forces at the Battle of the Cowpens. Her efforts were instrumental in securing that victory.
You can read about the contributions of other women featured at “10 Amazing Women of the Revolutionary War” online at allthingsliberty.com.
