Women Moving Forward
The demand for the labor of women was dramatically increased during the Civil War. By sewing uniforms, expressing their views of the war through literature, raising funds and supplies, and providing needed medical care, women advanced from the traditional homestead roles. An organization that had a strong impact during the war was the US Sanitary Commission. This organization consisted of women who supported and organized medical care and other needed services for soldiers. Prominent names for women advancement included Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Stanton.
Blacks Moving Forward
The use of African Americans in the military led to a transformation in racial equality. Almost 180,000 blacks served for the Union increasing the number of troops against the Confederacy. The fact that African American troops helped win the Civil war, gave them more clout and reason to have equal rights.