Introduction

Women were involved in the Civil War in both the North and South. Slaves and free women, rich and poor, married and single, all took part in the great conflict that consumed the nation. Some women worked as nurses (and a few were the first women doctors), some raised money and helped organize the U.S. Sanitary Commission, which provided supplies and worked to improve health conditions for the soldiers in camps. Some escaped from slavery and then helped other men and women escape to freedom, some disguised themselves as soldiers and fought on the battlefields, and some worked as spies carrying information across enemy lines. Women formed a central part of the abolitionist movement that advocated against slavery in the years before the war. Women also joined political organizations dedicated to women's rights and began the struggle for women's suffrage (the right to vote) in 1848, a struggle that continued into the early 20th century. The Civil War period profoundly affected women's position in society and provided many opportunities for women to change their own lives.

In Brooklyn, women played a central role in organizing the Brooklyn and Long Island Sanitary Fair of 1864. Held in downtown Brooklyn, this hugely successful event raised thousands of dollars for supplies for the Union soldiers. Dances, parades, a daily newspaper, museums, merchandise sales, auctions, and a cattle show were all part of the Fair.

This section has photographs, illustrations, and newspaper articles about slave girls and escaped slave Harriet Tubman, the 1864 Sanitary Fair, dress reform, women's suffrage, women spies, and more items that document women's activities during the Civil War.