Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue

by Susan Casey

Overview

Every schoolchild knows about Paul Revere’s 20-mile ride to warn that the British were coming. Far fewer know that 16-year-old Sybil Ludington rode twice as far to help her father, Colonel Ludington, muster his scattered troops to fight a marauding enemy. Few know about Martha Bratton, who blew up a supply of gunpowder to keep it from approaching British troops and boldly claimed, “It was I who did it!” Susan Casey gives Ludington, Bratton, and 18 other remarkable girls and women of the Revolution the spotlight they deserve in this lively collection of biographical profiles. Drawing on interviews with historians and descendants as well as primary source material, this is an invaluable resource for any student’s or history buff’s bookshelf.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613738313
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	07/01/2017
Series:	Women of Action Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	646,650
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1300L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Susan Casey is the author of Kids Inventing! and Women Invent! and a journalist whose work has appeared in Fast Company, Women's Sports, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among other publications. She lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Author's Note vii

Introduction: The American Revolution ix

Part 1 Resisters, Supporters, and Rescuers

Steeping the Brew Penelope Barker 3

The Slave Who Proclaimed a Revolution Phillis Wheatley 14

A Patriotic Publisher Mary Katherine Goddard 24

Mother to the End Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson 33

Supporters of the Troops Esther Reed Sarah Franklin Bache 40

The Rescuer Who Became a Fugitive Elizabeth Burgin 52

Part 2 Spies

The Listener Who Alerted the General Lydia Darragh 63

Petticoats and Handkerchiefs Anna Smith Strong 74

A Whig in a Land of Tories Dicey Langston 81

Part 3 Saboteurs

Leader of the Pitchfork Brigade Prudence Wright 89

On Star Under the Stars Sybil Ludington 100

Wine, Cake, and a Getaway Mary Lindley Murray 112

Masquerading Hostesses Grace Rachel Martin 121

Part 4 Soldiers and Defenders of the Home Front

Fleet-Footed Girl to the Rescue Elizabeth "Betty" Zane 129

Undercover Soldier Deborah Sampson Gannett 136

A Straight-Arrow Heroine Rebecca Motte 144

"It was I who did it." Martha Bratton 154

Part 5 Legendary Ladies

"Possible Mollies" Mary Ludwig Hayes and Margaret Cochran Corbin Molly Pitcher 165

Unlikely Rescuer Mammy Kate 177

The War Woman Nancy Hart 186

Acknowledgments 195

Glossary 199

Notes 201

Bibliography 211

Index 221

Editorial Reviews

"A fine, useful resource for students of American history.” —Booklist


“This well-researched book sheds light on lesser known women of this period and is an excellent way to incorporate diversity into the curriculum.” —School Library Journal


"Helpful, sometimes-humorous touches include explanations of archaic activities, lifestyles and social mores; well-documented primary and secondary sources; and clear instructions on how to read a political cartoon. A good starting point for further research." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

02/01/2015
Gr 7–10—In a clear writing style, Casey profiles 20 female figures in this collection of biographies of women involved with the American Revolution. While some of the names are legendary and recognizable, most are not. These ordinary girls and women who accomplished amazing feats usually thought of as masculine make for interesting reading. From spies to soldiers to slaves, the women profiled here are engaging enough to keep students interested, and some may even seek out further information. The author shares her research of differing accounts of the same events, so the readers can decipher the evidence for themselves. Each piece is brief—no more than 10 pages, and readers will find them very accessible. VERDICT This well-researched book sheds light on lesser known women of this period and is an excellent way to incorporate diversity into the curriculum.—Glynis Jean Wray, Ocean County Library, Toms River, NJ

School Library Journal

2015-01-10
A compact but dense book supplies facts and legends surrounding approximately 20 women in the American Colonies who furthered the cause of the Revolutionary War. The book's layout is not unlike a history textbook from the 1960s, with its small, black-and-white photographic reproductions and the sidebars of black print on gray background. Whether readers are skimming for information about several women or concentrating on one individual, the best approach is to first read the excellent author's note, which briefly explores women's widely varying involvement in the American Revolution and the difficulties inherent in the research, and the introduction, which quickly summarizes the lead-up to the war. There are many fascinating stories, carefully described as possibly true, including the outrageous but persistent tale of "Mammy Kate" rescuing a condemned soldier—her slavemaster—by carrying him out of prison in a covered basket balanced on her head. The stories are often weighed down by facts that would be better as footnotes and sidebars: some source explanations; names of all the children in large broods; unnecessary lineage details; the code numbers for every individual in a spy ring. Helpful, sometimes-humorous touches include explanations of archaic activities, lifestyles and social mores; well-documented primary and secondary sources; and clear instructions on how to read a political cartoon. A good starting point for further research. (glossary, notes, bibliography) (Collective biography. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews