The war brought a unique set of problems for women whose husbands had gone off to fight. Army pay was low and inconsistent, so these women had to take care of the financial needs of their families.
They also had to protect themselves and their children when enemy soldiers were nearby. Farm women had to learn how to do the men’s work of planting and harvesting while still attending to their traditional household responsibilities. In addition to feeding their families, they were charged with growing enough to supply the army as well. Nonfarming women sometimes took over their husbands’ businesses. Some were quite successful. Others eventually sold the business because they lacked the training to run it.
