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Women: The Role Of Women In The Civil War

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Every woman who enlisted in the Civil War had their own specific reasons for joining, and there is no way to know every woman’s exact reason, but a few have left us with evidence of theirs. At the time of the Civil War, women had minimum job opportunities, little social standing, and few liberties compared to the men. Many women enlisted for the sole purpose of assuming a male identity, knowing the freedom that would be associated with the gender. Sarah Wakeman, a female who took the alias of Lyons Wakeman, felt that assuming the male identity allowed her to gain an occupation she may not have otherwise received if she had been dressed as a female. She would take advantage of eating at restaurants unchaperoned, or even just staying out late

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