Head of Household

With a majority of the men away at war, women had to take over many responsibilities on the home front. They became the heads of the households, running farms and businesses left behind by their menfolk. Not only did the women complete their regular duties as housewives and mothers, but they also managed the family financial affairs.

Rebecca Motte

As a widow, Rebecca Motte did not have a man around to protect her and her six children during the war. After capturing her village in South Carolina, the British forced her and her family from their home. Determined not to let the Loyalists live in her house, Rebecca returned at night and helped the Patriots shoot flaming arrows at her cabin. The British forces numbering over 150 fled for their lives and were forced to surrender.

Catherine Schuyler

Catherine Schuyler’s husband was a general in the Continental Army. Therefore, she was left to run the family home and plantation. The British were running low on food as they advanced toward her land near Saratoga. Catherine sacrificed her own plantation by burning the wheat fields as the British approached. She refused to let them take the grain for food. When the British general Burgoyne arrived to find empty fields, he ordered her manor house be set ablaze.

Prized Possessions

Can you imagine destroying your own home and all of its contents to help promote a single cause? Many women did just that, leaving behind all of their prized possessions. What are some of your most beloved belongings? Make a list of five of your possessions that you would consider very important. Then write a sentence explaining why each is meaningful to you.

 

Loyalists – People who remained loyal to the British government during the American Revolution.

Patriots – People who loved, supported, and defended their land and fought for their rights to become an independent country.

Plantation – Several fields that are under cultivation; A large plot of land owned and cultivated by a family.

Prized Possessions – Personal belongings that are cherished or valued by the owner.