American Amazons: Colonial Women Who Changed History

American Amazons: Colonial Women Who Changed History, Alex Bugaeff, 2015

This is the second in a series about "Gomps," who entertains his grandchildren, Hannah and Carter, with stories about early American history. This book is about the women, some famous and some unknown, who helped shape this country.

Lucy Terry Prince, a former slave, argued a land dispute before the US Supreme Court in 1797, and won. During the crossing of the Mayflower, Bridget Fuller delivered three babies, and continued as a midwife in Plymouth for another 44 years. In practice, midwifes were doctors, but without the degree. In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to get a medical degree.

Mary Crouch, a native of Rhode Island, ran a newspaper in South Carolina after her husband died. She was a strong believer in independence, and made sure that her newspaper reflected it. Margaret Kemble Gage grew up in New Jersey, and was married to General Gage, the British commander in Boston. Margaret, a secret independence sympathizer, overheard her husband making plans. She told Joseph Warren, a Boston doctor who shared her sympathies, and he told Paul Revere, who then made his famous ride.

Women were supposedly not smart enough to understand military strategy, so many colonial women made the most of their opportunities to listen to British commanders, and pass on the information. There were a number of women who enlisted in the Continental Army as men, and fought on the front lines. Also, there were more women who worked as blacksmiths during the war, and others who provided the troops with food, equipment and clothing. Deborah Reed Franklin ran Benjamin Franklin's printing businesses, while he spent many years in Europe, as his common-law wife.

This is an excellent book. It is very easy to read, because each chapter is only a few pages long, and the book can be read starting at any point. It is highly recommended for those who study American history, and American women's history. It looks at people who don't get mentioned in the average history textbook.