Society for Women in the Civil War: A Range of Topics

Society for Women in the Civil War: A Range of Topics

From a variety of primary sources, and from Mount Vernon to the Far West and back again.

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Harriet Jacobs and Julia Wilbur: Two Other "Heroines"

With my own research in mind, I can't resist proposing Julia Wilbur and Harriet Jacobs as two other real-life heroines of Mercy Street.

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"Contrabands" in Alexandria

One of Mercy Street's characters with perhaps the most compelling back story (not that we know much of it, at least not now) is Aurelia, the African American laundress who is victimized by the brutish steward, Mr. Bullen. I don't remember if they specifically refer to her as a "contraband," but I know the word came up during the program. Here's a little background.

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African American Historic Records at the Library of Virginia

Two staff members from the Library of Virginia came up to Alexandria yesterday to explain some of the resources in the collection in Richmond or online.

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African Americans in Civil War Medicine

African American women made up about 10% of the Union hospital nurse workforce.

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