Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil War
The American Civil War drew thousands of white and black women into paid and unpaid work for the Union and Confederate armies. While the armies provided some women with a reliable income, their very proximity also represented a dangerous liaison that drew them into closer contact with Union troops...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Association for American Studies
2015-03-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/10695 |
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| author | E. Susan Barber Charles F. Ritter |
| author_facet | E. Susan Barber Charles F. Ritter |
| author_sort | E. Susan Barber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The American Civil War drew thousands of white and black women into paid and unpaid work for the Union and Confederate armies. While the armies provided some women with a reliable income, their very proximity also represented a dangerous liaison that drew them into closer contact with Union troops that rendered them vulnerable to sexual assault. By 1865, more than four hundred Union soldiers had been court-martialed for sexual crimes against white and black women and girls. At the war’s onset, the Union’s judge advocate corps, which tried soldiers for violations of the articles of war, was ill-prepared to adjudicate sexual crimes. By the war’s end, however, an ethic of sexual justice emerged from Union military courts to provide women with a means of redressing their wartime sexual violation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-62c01b521e054459beac25308630c93f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-62c01b521e054459beac25308630c93f2025-01-06T09:10:04ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362015-03-0110110.4000/ejas.10695Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil WarE. Susan BarberCharles F. RitterThe American Civil War drew thousands of white and black women into paid and unpaid work for the Union and Confederate armies. While the armies provided some women with a reliable income, their very proximity also represented a dangerous liaison that drew them into closer contact with Union troops that rendered them vulnerable to sexual assault. By 1865, more than four hundred Union soldiers had been court-martialed for sexual crimes against white and black women and girls. At the war’s onset, the Union’s judge advocate corps, which tried soldiers for violations of the articles of war, was ill-prepared to adjudicate sexual crimes. By the war’s end, however, an ethic of sexual justice emerged from Union military courts to provide women with a means of redressing their wartime sexual violation. https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/10695womenRapesexual assaultAmerican Civil WarUnion Armycourts-martial |
| spellingShingle | E. Susan Barber Charles F. Ritter Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil War European Journal of American Studies women Rape sexual assault American Civil War Union Army courts-martial |
| title | Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil War |
| title_full | Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil War |
| title_fullStr | Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil War |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil War |
| title_short | Dangerous Liaisons: Working Women and Sexual Justice in the American Civil War |
| title_sort | dangerous liaisons working women and sexual justice in the american civil war |
| topic | women Rape sexual assault American Civil War Union Army courts-martial |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/10695 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT esusanbarber dangerousliaisonsworkingwomenandsexualjusticeintheamericancivilwar AT charlesfritter dangerousliaisonsworkingwomenandsexualjusticeintheamericancivilwar |