The Lesser Known Women of the American Civil War
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Mary Edwards Walker
Susie Baker King Taylor
Rose O’Neal
Mary Edwards Walker
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Mary Edwards Walker was the only woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for her service in the
Civil War.
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She was born on November 26, 1832 in the town of Oswego, New York.
Her family were strong believers of the Abolitionist’s cause
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Her father Strongly believed in education and equal opportunity for
his daughters
A view that strongly influenced Mary’s life.
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Mary graduated from Syracuse Medical College in 1855. She was the only
woman from her class and only the second woman in the United States to
graduate from a medical School.
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A drawing of how the
college looked like when she
attended.
When the war broke out, she tried to join the Union Army as a
commissioned medical officer.
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She was denied, but volunteered as a assistant surgeon.
By doing so, she became the first female surgeon in the US Army.
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On November 11, 1865, President Johnson awarded her the
Congressional Medal of Honor for Meritorious Service to recognize her
contributions to the war effort.
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Fun Fact!This is what the
Medal looked like during the Civil
War, quite different from today’s
version.
After the war, she became an active advocate for women’s rights. She
wrote and lectured about dress reform, health and temperance, and women’s
rights.
Fun Fact!Walker had a penchant for cross-dressing and
prided herself for being arrested for dressing in men’s clothing. She felt
clothing was too restrictive and
immodest.
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In 1917, her medal was revoked when Congress revised the medal’s
standards to include only “actual combat with the enemy.”
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That did little to stop her. She refused to give her medal back and wore it every day until her death in 1919.
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Susie Baker King Taylor
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Rose O’Neal
Susie Baker King Taylor
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Taylor became one of the few African American Women to work for the Union
Army as a nurse.
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Taylor was born in Georgia on August 6, 1848 as a slave.
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At the age of seven, Taylor and her brother were went to Savannah. There,
they were taught in secret by black women.
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Her home in Savannah
where she lived and was taught
On April 1, 1862, Taylor was freed when a nearby fort was captured by
the Union Army. She went to the Union occupied St. Simon’s Island, where
word of her education spread.
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A mere five days after her arrival, she was offered supplies if she would
organize a school for the children of St. Simon’s Island.
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Fun Fact!
This is a picture of class from one of the schools
she established. Two decades later! Talk about
a legacy!
She became the first African American teacher to openly instruct black
students in Georgia.
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She met and married her first husband, a black non-commissioned
officer in the Union Army.
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For the next three years, she traveled with her husband’s regiment, working
as a laundress.
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This is what a typical black
regiment looked like in the Civil War.
She did more than laundry duty. She taught the soldiers how to read and
write. She also trained and served as a nurse.
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In 1866, she and her husband returned to Savannah, where she would establish a school for free black
children.
That same year her husband would pass away.
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After her husband’s death, she moved to Boston. There, she met Russell
Taylor who would become her second husband.
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Nursing stayed a passion of hers. She joined the Women’s Relief Corp, which
gave assistance to soldiers and hospitals.
She soon became president of the organization.
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Susie Baker King Taylor died in 1912 at the age of 64.
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You have successfully completed Susie Baker King Taylor’s Biography!
Who else would you like to learn about?
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for the quiz!
Rose O’NealMary Edwards
Walker
Rose O’Neal
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Rose O’Neal was one of the most renowned spies of the Civil War.
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O’Neal was born in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1817.
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She was a passionate sectionist and was known as “Wild Rose.”
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She sent a secret message to General Beauregard, which ultimately caused
him to win the Battle of Bull Run.
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She was imprisoned for her efforts, but still managed to get messages to the
Confederacy via cryptic messages hidden in unlikely places, like a
woman’s hair bun.
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Fun Fact!This is an actual
message she wrote and sent. Look closely and
you’ll see her cryptic code!
After her imprisonment, she was exiled to the Confederate States.
She was warmly welcomed by President Jefferson Davis.
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She spied so successfully for the Confederacy that President Davis
credited her with winning the Battle of Manassas.
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In 1864, she boarded the Condor, but just before the ship docked, it was
attacked by Union war vessels.
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She fled in a row boat, but it capsized and she never made it to shore.
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An illustration depicting her leaving the
vessel on the row boat
O’Neal was buried with full military honors in the October of 1864.
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You have successfully completed Rose O’Neal’s biography!
Who else would you like to learn about?
I read all three and am ready
for the quiz!
Susie Baker King Taylor
Mary Edwards Walker
Who Are You?
Take this short quiz to find out which heroine you are most like.
Afterwards, You will write a short essay based on your result.
Take Quiz Now! Ready for
the essay!Main Menu
Help!
Hyperlink not working? No Problem!
If the link fails, simply open up a web browser and copy and paste this URL:
http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/18509195/which-lesser-known-civil-war-heroine-are-
you
Essay Time!
Imagine that you are your quiz result in the present day. What type of job would you
have? What of today’s issues would you be most passionate about? Be sure to explain why with facts from her biography. It must
be at least a paragraph.
Be creative!
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Directions
Either write the essay on looseleaf (clean edges! No frills!) and turn it into me in person
or use word and email it to me at [email protected]. Either way, it must be
turned in by the next class period or it will be considered late! No exceptions!
Remember you can be creative, just back it up with a well-reasoned argument!
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Work Cited
Information URLs:
Mary Edwards Walker - http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/walker.htm
Susie Baker King Taylor - http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/taylor-susan-susie-baker-king-1848-1912
Rose O’Neal - http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/greenhow/
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Work Cited
Pictures:Slide 1 - http://www.nzlendrums.co.nz/index/military-service
Slide 3 - http://myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=maryedwardswalker
Slide 7 - http://www.homeoint.org/cazalet/histo/pennsylvfem.htm
Slide 10 - http://oregonmag.com/Fletcher509.html
Slide 11 - http://goodchanges.tripod.com/id18.html
Slide 14 - http://ouralabamaroots.com/?p=143
Slides 18 & 20 - http://www.kingtisdell.org/sktaylor.htm
Slide 23 - http://www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-black-soldiers.html
Slide 29 - http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/greenhow/menu.html
Slide 35 – http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/3679495958/
Slide 39 - http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ref/nchistory/oct2005/index.html
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