Women During the Civil War: An Encyclopedia - Hardcover

Harper, Judith E.

9780415937238: Women During the Civil War: An Encyclopedia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 041593723X ISBN 13: 9780415937238

Publisher: Routledge, 2003

For more information, including a full list of entries, a generous selection of sample entries, and more, visit the Women During the Civil War website.

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.

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About the Author:

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.

From Booklist:

The Civil War was the seminal point for so much of what America is today, and women played an important part. This unique encyclopedia brings together information on individual women, ethnic groups, occupations, issues, and even women soldiers.

The encyclopedia is designed for scholars and students who need information on women both individually and collectively. The 128 entries range in size from several paragraphs to several pages. Each provides cross-references where appropriate and a selected readings list. A number of black-and-white photographs accompany the text. The work concludes with an extensive bibliography and an index with the main entries in bold type.

The individuals covered include the famous, such as Dorothea Dix, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, and less-well-known women, some of whom disguised their sex and served in the army, such as Sarah Rosetta Wakeman. The entry Military women provides insights on how they got away with the deception and why they decided to enlist. Of course the more traditional activities such as sewing uniforms and flags are included, as are tasks of taking on farming, running businesses, and holding the family together. The problems of women doctors who were not allowed to heal the wounded; nurses who fought with surgeons over patient care; the ambiguity of what to do with the former slaves after they were freed; and a host of other issues are all examined in some depth.

This work is an important reference resource for most libraries. The bibliography would make an excellent checklist for collection development. Although the biographies are useful, the essays helping to place women in a Civil War context are even more significant. A necessary acquisition for public and academic libraries with collections on the Civil War, social movements such as abolition, and women's studies. RBB
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