Introduction
Throughout the history of the United States, the country and its citizens faced a plethora of challenges. They settled new territories, battled for those lands to become their home, and fought for their rights to be secured and protected in their fatherland. The American Civil War presented a tremendous challenge to numerous people, both on the Union and the Confederacy sides. This essay is based on the story of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, a female soldier, who fought on the side of the Union in the Civil War, and her personal challenges.
Sarah Rosetta Wakeman
Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, most commonly referred to as Rosetta Wakeman, was one of the hundreds of women who fought in the Civil War under a fabricated male identity. She was born on January 16, 1843, in Afton, New York, to Emily Wakeman and Harvey Anable (Weiser-Alexander, 2021). Rosetta was the oldest of nine children in the family and, from an early age, was required to work on the family farm and as domestic aid to help support her family (Weiser-Alexander, 2021). Due to the family being poor, Wakeman had no marriage prospects and, as a young adult, began to live independently from her parents, which can be viewed as unusual for a woman of her time.
It should be noted that Wakeman began to present herself as a man before joining the Union army. At the age of 19, Wakeman left the village of Afton for the city of Binghamton, New York (Weiser-Alexander, 2021). Having found work as a laundress and a housekeeper, she soon realized that women’s wages did not compare to those of men. In order to secure a higher income, Wakeman decided to present herself as a man and assumed the persona of Lyons Wakeman (Weiser-Alexander, 2021). As Lyons, she was able to find work as a coal handler on a canal boat. Notably, Wakeman’s family was aware of her Lyons identity, and she had male friends who knew she was a woman disguised as a man (Stattler, 2021; Thomas, 2022). Wakeman joined the 153rd New York State Volunteers regiment on August 30, 1862, at the age of 21 (Weiser-Alexander, 2021). During her tenure as a soldier, Wakeman took part in an active battle and died of disease on June 19, 1864 (Weiser-Alexander, 2021). Overall, Wakeman’s service was short, and she was never discovered as a woman, being buried under the name of Lyons Wakeman.
Circumstances of the Challenge
Historical Circumstances
The primary historical circumstance that Rosetta Wakeman encountered was the American Civil War (1861-1865). The war was the outcome of the growing tensions between the northern and the southern states of the country. The question of slavery was at the center of the conflict, with the Southern states considering it the backbone of their economy and the industrialized North showing abolitionist tendencies. Both the Union and the Confederate armies amassed thousands of men to fight in the conflict that can be considered nation-forming.
Social Circumstances
As a woman, Rosetta Wakeman faced the social circumstance of gender inequality. The 19th century United States was a society with stark gender divisions. Both men and women were expected to fulfill specific roles within their communities and families (Frader, 2020). Before the 1870s, obligatory primary schooling, enacted in 1852, was not available to all children, with the majority of girls not receiving any education (Frader, 2020). Due to the belief that the woman’s place was at home and lack of schooling opportunities, particularly for lower class women and women of color, they were extremely limited in the choice of career. Society expected and pressured women to choose professions that would benefit from the women’s alleged natural predispositions to caring, nurturing, and mothering (Frader, 2020). Failure to follow the expected gender roles could result in one’s rejection by society. Thus, Rosetta Wakeman was limited in her ability to earn money or live independently due to society having certain expectations of her, such as marriage and domestic work.
Governmental Circumstances
During the Civil War, impersonating a man, particularly a soldier, was a criminal offense. The government often imprisoned women accused of pretending to be a man. It should be noted that such charges could be brought if a woman was discovered wearing items of men’s clothing, specifically, trousers. For example, Dr. Mary Walker, a prominent physician who practiced medicine during the Civil War, was regularly arrested for wearing male attire (“Dr. Mary Walker: Unconventional suffragette & only female Medal of Honor recipient,” 2022). Notably, during her military service, Wakeman served as a guard at the Carroll Prison, Washington, where she guarded women arrested for impersonating men to enlist in the Union Army (“Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, 1843-1864,” 2021). Thus, Wakeman, who enjoyed her independence as a soldier, risked losing it by assuming the identity of Lyons Wakeman. The government prohibited women from joining the military and other traditionally male professions, which was an enormous challenge for Wakeman and other women who joined the army during the Civil War.
Personal Circumstances
Several personal circumstances contributed to Rosetta Wakeman’s challenges during the Civil War. Wakeman came from an impoverished farming family and, without any marriage prospects, was forced to work to support herself, her parents, and her siblings. According to Thomas (2022), her primary incentive for joining the Union army was the money offered to male volunteers. In particular, the 153rd regiment granted each soldier a $152 signing bonus and a $13 per month stipend (Thomas, 2022). The money she received from the Union army was spent on paying off her father’s debts. However, she could also spend money on herself and enjoy financial independence.
Gaining independence from her family and societal expectations was another reason for Wakeman’s assumption of the identity of Lyons. As a man, she was able to pursue work and active military duty that was prohibited to women. In letters to her family, Rosetta admits that she enjoyed fighting and the military life and planned on re-enlisting (Thomas, 2022). Due to her gender and social class, Wakeman had few prospects in life and, without impersonating a man, had no means of supporting herself or her family. However, it should be noted that the personal circumstances of her challenges can be attributed to both social and governmental ones. Gender inequality was persistent in the 19th century, with the government supporting it through legislation, creating an environment where few women could achieve independence and be viewed as equals to men.
Interactions with the Challenge
Overall, it can be argued that Rosetta Wakeman met the challenge of being a woman in the 19th century United States as well as the challenge of the Civil War with grace and determination. She was never discovered as a woman during her tenure in the Union army despite regularly sending letters to her family signed with her real name (Clinton, 2022; Thomas, 2022). Moreover, in her letters, she stated that the military career suited her well and enjoyed participating in active combat as well as the comradery with other soldiers (Thomas, 2022). Wakeman was not defeated by her circumstances and achieved the feat few women could. She did not die in battle but of disease, a common cause of death during the war. Having died in 1864, Wakeman did not see the resolution of many challenges that she faced, including the Civil War and gender inequality.
Although American society underwent numerous changes since the Civil War, certain challenges encountered by Rosetta Wakeman persist. Although women are welcomed to choose from the same variety of professions as men, the gender division endures. According to Hampson (2020), despite women working in different industries and being granted maternity leaves to care for their children, gender stereotypes often prevent women from achieving the same positions as men as well as equal pay. Notably, maternity leave and other work/life balance policies aimed at women may lead to discrimination (Hampson, 2020). Specifically, the military does not view women, especially mothers, in the same way as men, with the model of a “male warrior” being predominant in the field (Hampson, 2020). Overall, the challenge women in the military face today cannot be compared to the one encountered by Rosetta Wakeman. Nevertheless, it cannot be stated with complete confidence that this challenge no longer exists.
Conclusion
In summary, Rosetta Wakeman faced the challenge of the Civil War and gender inequality in the 19th century United States. Assuming the identity of Lyons Wakeman, she gained financial independence and the freedom to choose the career she enjoyed through presenting herself as a man. Today, many women in the U.S. benefit from the work towards gender equality that was done before them. However, gender disparities persist, specifically in such a traditionally male-dominated field as the military.
References
Clinton, C. (2022). Sesquicentennial reflections on Civil War women. The Chautauqua Journal, 2, 1–15.
Dr. Mary Walker: Unconventional suffragette & only female Medal of Honor recipient. (2022). Identify Medals.
Hampson, S. C. (2020). Mothers do not make good workers: The role of work/life balance policies in reinforcing gendered stereotypes. Gender, Sexuality, and the Law, 128–149.
Frader, L. L. (2020). Gender and labor in world history. In T. A. Meade & M. E. Wiesner-Hanks (Eds.), A companion to global gender history (pp. 26–50). John Wiley & Sons.
Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, 1843-1864. (2021). Wander Women Project. Web.
Stattler, R. (2021). Women & the Civil War. Swann Galleries News.
Thomas, K. (2022). Battlefield women: How nurses, soldiers, and spies challenged gender roles during the American Civil War. History Honors Program, 30, 1–65.
Weiser-Alexander, K. (2021). Sarah Rosetta Wakeman – Fighting in the Civil War. Legends of America.