1776: Revolutionary Girls

To celebrate 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we are exploring girlhood in America around 1776.

Students in the United States often learn about the history of the American Revolution, but little attention is given to the history of girls and the young women who made an impact on the American Revolution. With this exhibition, we look beyond what is traditionally taught in classrooms and bring to light the everyday lives, activities, schooling, fashion, and struggles of girls during the time of the American Revolution.

This exhibition also highlights organizations, museums, and people in today’s society that are working to ensure that girls of the American Revolution are not forgotten. We hope this exhibition sparks new curiosity and inspires scholars of all ages to delve further into the history of girls and girlhood during this transformative period.

War for Independence

The American Revolution, also called the War for Independence, was an uprising launched by the thirteen North American colonies against Great Britain. The conflict began in 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The previous decade had been marked by a growing tension between the British crown and the colonies over issues of taxation, representation, and imperial authority.  

While Patriots sought independence from Britain and the creation of a new republican government, Loyalists remained committed to the British Crown. With the adoption of the Declaration in 1776, the United States asserted itself as an independent nation. The Continental Army, led by George Washington, fought to defend the colonies’ claim to independence. After eight years of conflict, the war ended in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain formally recognized United States as an independent country.

Emanuel Leutze, Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Defining Girls of this Era

Research on girls and girlhood in 1776 often focuses on women of the era rather than on girls themselves. This lack of research reflects a broader pattern of overlooking girls and girlhood throughout history.

Definitions of girlhood are not fixed but continually reshaped and redefined by social and cultural norms and political and economic factors. In the 1700s, girls often entered womanhood around sixteen years old, when they were considered of marriageable age. This threshold is different from today’s understanding of girlhood and womanhood.

For this exhibition, the term “girls” refers to those under the age of sixteen and “young women” for those between sixteen and twenty-one years old. This differentiation helps illuminate differences in how these groups engaged and interacted with society. Focusing only on girls under the age of sixteen would erase essential dimensions of girls and girlhood in 1776, including the experiences of young woman whose lives were deeply intertwined with the meanings and practices of girlhood.

The Greenwood-Lee Family, John Greenwood, c.1747, Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Isaac Winslow and His Family, Joseph Blackburn, 1755, Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Map of the British Colonies, William Robert Shepherd, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

What did the country look like in 1776?

The thirteen American colonies (in order of founding):

  1. Virginia (1607)
  2. Massachusetts (1620)
  3. New Hampshire (1623)
  4. New York (founded by the Netherlands in 1624; captured by Britain in 1664)
  5. Maryland (1634)
  6. Connecticut (1635)
  7. Rhode Island (1636)
  8. Delaware (1638)
  9. New Jersey (founded by the Netherlands in 1660; captured by Britain in 1664)
  10. North Carolina (established as Carolina in 1663; divided into North and South Carolina in 1712)
  11. South Carolina (established as Carolina in 1663; divided into North and South Carolina in 1712)
  12. Pennsylvania (1681)
  13. Georgia (1733)

Population of 1776

The population of the Thirteen Colonies in 1776 was roughly 2.5 million people. Formal census taking was not established until 1790, so the exact demographic of the population is slightly different depending on the source. The main consensus among historians seems to be that around 650,000 were free men, 650,000 were free women, and 700,000 were free children under the age of 16 years old. In 1776 there were around 500,000 enslaved men, women, and children of African descent. There is little consensus as to how many of the children were girls, reflecting the broader challenge of recovering information about girlhood in this period.

Issues Facing Girls and Young Women

Women throughout the 18th century faced significant legal and political constraints. They couldn’t vote or hold formal political office. Since their rights were governed by state laws,  women’s lives depended on where they lived and their social status. Married women’s rights were restricted under coverture, meaning their legal identity was absorbed into their husband’s, while single women and widows retained more legal autonomy.

Understanding how women were viewed and the factors governing their lives provide insights into girlhood in this period, since they directly shaped the expectations, challenges, and opportunities of girls in Revolutionary America.

When the war started, women had limited roles available to them. Some became camp followers, women and families who followed their husbands and fathers during the campaign. Both the Continental Army and the British Army relied on thousands of women and children camp followers. Estimates show that for the Continental Army there was at least one woman for every twenty-four soldiers.

A follower had to work to earn her bread. These women and their children performed a variety of duties, including cleaning soldiers’ uniforms and providing them with medical care, food, and supplies. In some cases, they cared for wounded enemy soldiers too. They often faced life-threatening situations.

Why did women choose to follow the army? Many did not want to part with their husbands, and joining the army was the best way to stay close to them. Beyond these personal reasons, there were also economic considerations. Wives of enlisted soldiers had limited employment options, and poor women in particular saw the army to earn income for themselves and their children.

When women fell into the hands of the opposing army, they were often considered prisoners of war and taken to enemy camps. Some women were traded in prisoner of war exchanges and released, but others were forced to remain with the opposing army. In many cases, these women became targets of abuse.

Loyalist women sided with the British and wanted to remain colonists. They often faced scorn and threats from their neighbors, adding extra worry at an already fraught time. As a result, they were often excluded from social circles and were victims of robbery and property damage. Some were even forced to flee their homes.

Even though they were not Loyalists, Quaker women were often suspected of supporting the British and consequently experienced hostility. Their commitment to pacifism and refusal to support the war led many to believe they were sympathetic to the British.

Although they are frequently overlooked in the history of 1776, Black women were central to the Revolutionary struggle. During the war, Black women supported both the Continental and British armies in different ways. In the Continental Army, free women of African descent could follow the army if their husbands were soldiers or if they were hired by officers to work. Enslaved women could only follow the army with the permission from their enslavers.

Many enslaved people saw military service—especially with the British army—as a potential path to freedom. In 1775, during the first year of the war, Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, proclaimed that any enslaved man owned by a “rebel” (that is a Patriot) who fought for the British would be given their freedom. As a result, Black men, women, and children flocked to the British in large numbers.

The number of freedom seekers, including women, increased even more after British commander Sir Henry Clinton issued the Philipsburg Proclamation in 1779. It offered protection to any enslaved person who joined the British. Black women worked as servants for officers, cared for the wounded, and performed manual labor. When the war in the South turned against the British, many freedom-seeking people were abandoned, captured, and forced back into slavery.

Following the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, gradual abolition in the North allowed some Black women to become legally free and gain certain rights, including the ability to marry, to have custody of their children, and to own property. Yet in reality, Black and Indigenous women faced racial discrimination that limited their ability to exercise these rights. In the slaveholding South, lawmakers continued to deny enslaved people the most basic human rights.

Despite facing immense dangers and profound racial and gender discrimination, Black women played indispensable roles in the war through their labor, bravery, and commitment to freedom.

The Revolutionary War not only determined the future of the American colonies but also shaped the future of the Native peoples who lived in and around the colonies. Native Americans were not passive observers in the conflict. While many communities tried to remain neutral, as the war continued, they had to make the difficult choice of which side they would support, the Loyalists or the Patriots, and the best ways to safeguard their homes and land. Many Native American women, often respected members of and leaders in their societies, took part in the deliberations.

At the same time, the expanding influence of Europeans and American colonists reshaped Native American cultural practices and challenged women’s traditional authority, excluding them from political decision-making. The war brought severe political divisions and further marginalized women in the political sphere It also unleashed violence on Native American communities and led to the destruction of agricultural settlements and forced displacement.

During the 1779 Sullivan Expedition, for example, Continental soldiers deliberately targeted Native American women and their land, destroying 40 Haudenosaunee towns and burning crops and orchards to force the communities from their territory. Despite these issues, many decided to get involved in the war efforts. Despite these great dangers and hardships, women mobilized their communities and chose to engage directly in wartime efforts to safeguard their people and their future of their communities.

Remember the Ladies

The first Continental Congress was held at the Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774. It was made up of 56 delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonies. This was in response to the British Parliament’s punitive Intolerable Acts, which were passed to punish Boston for the Boston Tea Party.

The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from all thirteen Colonies that functioned as the de facto national government during the war. They met on May 10, 1775, to establish a framework for government and adopt the Declaration of Independence. During this time, Abigail Smith Adams wrote to her husband John Adams, a delegate from Massachusetts (and the future second President), to urge him and his colleagues to “Remember the Ladies.” 

In the letter, she wrote:

“Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If particular [sic] care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to form a Rebellion ourselves and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or representation.” 

While the letter didn’t instantly change laws or ensure the Declaration of Independence included women, it became a foundational feminist rallying cry for women’s autonomy that has had a deep impact on women’s rights ever since. In the 19th and 20th centuries, suffrage activists frequently invoked her letter to support their demand for women’s political inclusion. 

 

Abigail Adams, Benjamin Blythe, c. 1766, Pastel on paper; 57cm x 44.3cm, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA.

Everyday life of Girls in America from 1775- 1783

Life wasn’t easy for girls and women in the 18th century. They lived without electricity and or modern medicine and had rely on travelling by foot or horse. Most families relied on what they could grow and make themselves, and girls played a crucial role in the production of food and goods for their families.

Daily Household Activities

Girls had little time to play. Eldest daughters in particular were expected to help their mothers take care of the household duties and care for younger siblings. Tasks varied by age, but all girls were expected to contribute to their households.

Poor girls and women in rural areas were expected to help with a wide range of tasks, including farm work, fetching water, chopping wood for fires, tending to livestock, hunting, repairing household items, managing finances, and performing countless other domestic responsibilities, including cooking, doing the laundry, and cleaning the house. Girls also learned skills crucial to households, including spinning, weaving, and sewing.

During the boycott against British goods, many women and girls participated in the homespun movement by repurposing worn clothing and spinning their own wool and weaving fabric at home. As many men went to war, girls had to take on more responsibilities and chores in the house. Their labor was essential to the survival of their households.

Child’s thimble, 1700-1800, silver, diameter 13/32 in.; Height ¼ in, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA,1952-28.

Doll, painted wood and silk gown with leading strings, 1775-1785, England or Europe, Germany, Wood, gesso, paint, glass, hair; clothing includes silk gown; silk and wool petticoat; cotton shift; silk and worsted petticoat; wool wig caul, OH: 17’’, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 1971-1739, A-E.

Girls’ Schooling in the American Revolution

Education in colonial America varied widely and was shaped by gender, race, region, and social class. Although many of the nation’s founders valued education, they did not believe schooling should be universal and did not establish a national system of education. They left control of the schools to individual states and made no mention of education in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution, leaving decisions about schooling to states, towns, and families.

Many community schools for both girls and boys were often led by local religious authorities. In New England, teachers emphasized literacy so children could read the Bible. In the Middle Colonies and the South, schooling was less consistent, with many children learning at home or not at all.

For children who did attend school in the 18th century, learning typically began with reading between the ages of four and seven. Writing was taught later—often between the ages of nine and twelve—because it was thought that children needed to have the dexterity to hold a quill properly and more maturity to write in cursive than writing in print. Students practiced on slates, which were mini chalkboards that allowed students to erase their work and keep trying until they got it right.

Education for Some

Girls’ educational opportunities were limited. In 1776, most girls received far less formal schooling than boys. Even Abigail Adams, one of the greatest minds of her generation, was denied a formal education because she was a woman.

A girls’ access to education largely depended on her family’s social and economic standing. Many girls, especially those in rural and poorer areas, received little or no formal schooling and were expected to contribute to the household as soon as they were able. Their education came through work, and while these skills were essential to family survival, it left little time for reading and writing.

Girls from wealthier families had more opportunities. They usually learned to read and write, and daughters of mercantile families learned basic arithmetic and bookkeeping skills to assist with the family business. Their handwriting was expected to be neat and delicate, reflecting their feminine sensibilities. Elite girls might be privately tutored in a variety of subjects, like art, music, dancing, and French, which were meant to prepare them for social life. Thanks to these skills, many New England women kept diaries containing their thoughts on politics and philosophy and even some poetry. These writings reveal that women were engaged in the political and intellectual affairs of the day, even though they were denied formal schooling.

Female literacy did increase over the course of the 18th century, especially after 1787 when schooling became more widespread across the country. The aftermath of the war ushered a new emphasis on young women’s education and saw the advent of ladies’ academics, specifically in New England.

Access to education was also shaped by race. Formal schooling was largely reserved for white girls. Black and Native American girls were denied formal schooling and often forbidden to learn how to read and write. Nevertheless, they received other, valuable forms of education.  Black girls learned skills essential to survival—including agricultural labor, domestic work, healing practices, and community knowledge—often passed down through mothers, grandmothers, and elders. Native American girls learned through oral traditions that preserved their cultural practices and histories. These forms of learning sustained Black and Native American communities during times of profound upheaval.

​​Child’s Composite Atlas, 1790, Amos Doolittle (engraver), Jedidiah Morse (publisher), New Haven, CT. Black and white line engraving on laid paper, Museum Purchase, Mrs. Anna Glen B. Vietor Map Fund, 2011-25.

Wood hornbook, 18th century, possibly American, wood, 28X18cm, Juvenile Collection (Library of Congress), Z1033.H8 W6 1800z.

Horn Books

Noted as one of the most fundamental tools used in early American education, hornbooks provided an easy and convenient way for children to learn their alphabet and essential reading skills. They originated in England during the 15th century and were brought to the colonies by early settlers and stayed in use throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.

The hornbook design was straightforward and durable. The base was a flat wooden paddle and had a piece of leather children could tie around their necks or around their waist to make it easier to carry. A sheet of printed text was mounted on the board, which was covered with a thin, translucent layer of horn shaved from an animal’s horn. It formed a protective, glass-like surface that made the hornbooks more durable. The printed text usually included the alphabet, with uppercase and lowercase letters, a syllabary, and the Lord’s Prayer. Hornbooks thus served a dual purpose of teaching religious values and reading skills. 

Samplers

Like hornbooks, samplers were a method of helping girls learn how to read and write and also taught them basic sewing skills needed to manage the family household. An embroidery sampler is a square or rectangular piece of cloth, often used to practice sewing stitches and designs.

Samplers allowed girls to master different types of stitches and demonstrate a variety of sewing skills. The template or background of the sampler was typically made of linen, while the embroidery threads could be made of linen, cotton, or a blend. Most girls stitched with linen or cotton thread, but girls from wealthier families might use silk.

By the late 1700s and early 1800s, schools for well-to-do girls and young women created more elaborate pieces with decorative motifs like flowers, houses, and religious, pastoral, and mourning scenes. Samples were thus not just a practical exercise but demonstrated girls’ education, artistic skill, and refinement.

Mary Austin (American, 1773–1799), Sampler, 1784. Made in Essex County, Salem, Massachusetts, United States, Silk embroidery on linen, 12 1/2 x 10 in. (31.8 x 25.4 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Sarah Starr (born ca. 1760), Starr Coat of Arms Sampler, ca. 1775. Possibly made in Middletown, Connecticut, United States, Embroidered silk on linen, 16 x 22 1/4 in. (40.6 x 56.5 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mary Munro (American, 1775–1815), Sampler, 1788. Made in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, Silk embroidery on linen, 13 1/2 x 10 1/4 in. (34.3 x 26 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Revolution Era Fashion

The years 1775- 1776 marked a transitional moment for fashion in America. Many clothing items that were considered the social norm became heavily critiqued by doctors, moralists, and leaders who questioned their practicality, health effects, and symbolic meaning. Revolutionary politics also directly impacted the fashion industry. This section explores shifting trends in clothing and the impact it had on girls and young women in America.

Homespun Movement

Before the American Revolution, the majority of clothing items, fabrics, and textiles were imported to America from overseas. A major shift in fashion occurred as a result of several laws or acts passed by the British on the colonies. The Stamp Act, enacted in 1765, was the first direct tax imposed by the British Parliament on the American Colonies. The Townshend Act, passed in 1767, taxed goods imported to the American colonies. These acts sparked protests and encouraged colonists to boycott British goods. The movement intensified with the British Prohibitory Act, which was passed in December 1775 and prohibited all trade between Britain and the colonies. This made it difficult and expensive to import any clothing items, fabrics, and textiles to America, forcing colonists to rely on domestic production as well as reusing and recycling their clothing.

This move towards domestic production to replace the imported British cloth became known as the homespun movement. Patriot girls and women played a central role, re-spinning and weaving wool and linen from older pieces of clothing.

Spinning Wheels

The wheel would allow for girls to separate the thread from the piece of cloth to then respin it back into yarn. This is either a Flax or Saxony (Leispic) wheel from the late 18th century. No background information was given with the wheel. According to historians the spinning and winding of the yarn was made simultaneously by means of a flier and bobbin attachment to the spindle. This made it easier for girls and women to respin yarn to then make their own fabrics and textiles with it to create new pieces of clothing as a disconnect from the British throughout the war and after the war was over.

Flax Spinning Wheel, late 18th century, wood, made in Rhode Island, Smithsonian Museum of American History.

Political Statements

Participation in the homespun movement and other boycotts became an awakening for many women, revealing their economic and political power. By producing cloth at home and refusing imported textiles, women made political statements that supported the Patriot cause.

Enslaved women also participated in domestic cloth production. Although the brutal system of slavery denied them a political voice, their contributions were essential to sustaining households and communities in wartime

Women’s political expression through fashion continued after the Revolution. Federalist women, who supported a strong central government and the new Constitution, incorporated golden eagles and black cockades into their outfits. These symbols echo Federalist ideals, with the eagle representing national strength and unity and the black cockade symbolizing loyalty to the new federal authority. Women who supported Republicanism, favoring local governance over centralized power, wore Phrygian caps, which were soft, conical red hats that symbolized the rejection of tyranny and the birth of a free citizenry. With the re-opening of trade after the war, many styles from France and Britain came back into American women’s fashion. Women blended these styles with political symbols.

Clothing thus served as a subtle but powerful way for women to express their political voice during a time when they could not yet vote and have a formal say in government.

Clothing in Early Childhood

In the early 18th century, most babies in Europe and America started life swaddled, tightly wrapped in linen. However, towards the middle of the century and especially by the time of the Revolutionary War, many doctors began to criticize swaddling as restrictive and unhealthy, making it a controversial practice in 1776. Instead, children and babies were often dressed in long, loose gowns that reached their feet, which allowed them greater movement and comfort.

Toddlers could be kept out of trouble by sewing “leading strings” to their clothing. Mothers or nursemaids could hold onto the end of the narrow fabric tie to guide a child away from hazards, like the blazing hearth, while allowing them to manage their many daily tasks. Toddlers also wore a hat, known as a puddling cap, which was an early incarnation of a crash helmet that fit over their head and had a rolled piece of fabric acting as padding if they fell over.

By around the age of twelve, children were deemed ready to wear adult style clothes. This moment marked an important marker in the transition from childhood to young adulthood.

Pudding Cap, 1770-1785, England, Cotton velvet, horsehair padding, leather lining, silk ribbon, H 4 ¾’’; DIA.: 7 ¼’’, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 1952-55.

Gown, 1750-1789, America, silk, linen, Chest: 46 inches, Waist: 44inches, Overall Center Front Length: 54 inches long, Fabric Width: 21 inches, Gift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 2022-147.

Girls’ and Women’s Fashion in 1776

Women’s dresses in the eighteenth century reflected shifting ideas about femininity. Eighteenth-century children’s clothes largely resembled that of their parents, as it was the custom to dress children as small adults. In the late 18th into the 19th century, the idea of children dressing like mini adults also began to change. Children’s clothing began to be designed for their comfort, convenience, and freedom of movement bringing relief to both children and the parents who had to dress them.

As can be seen below, there are many similarities and differences between the ways in which girls and women’s dresses, stays, and other items were made and worn. The dresses on the left are for girls, which shows how their dresses laced in the back, whereas women’s dresses, on the right, are often laced in the front. However, this was often the opposite for the wealthier, who could afford servants who would lace them up from the back. Fashion was a priority over comfort and ease of dressing.

Gown, 1750-1775, Europe, Gold silk satin, trimmed with silk and silver metallic ribbons; bodice and sleeves lined with linen; skirt hem faced with green silk tabby, OL: 41’’ Waist approximately 14 ¾’’, Textile width between selvages 28 ¾’’. Skirt length 30 ½’’ (at center front) to 33’’ (sides). Skirt circumference 85 ½’’. Ribbons are 1 ⅜’’ wide. Sleeves B & C: OL: 5 ½’’ plus 9 ¾’’ ribbon ties. Tie ribbon is ¾’’ wide; decorative ribbon 1 ⅜’’ wide. Gift of Mrs. Cora Ginsburg, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 1991-551, 1A-C.

Gown, November 18, 1778, England, London, St. Olaf; worn in America, Virginia, Caroline County, Cream silk taffeta, linen bodice lining, silk lace, OL: (center back) 61’’; Waist approx: 31’’; Fabric width: 28 ¾’’, Gift of Mr. George B. Baylor, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 1946- 133 A.

Gown, 1750 to 1775, Great Britain, Silk satin, lined with tabby silk, sewn with linen. OL: 34 ½’’; sleeve length: 5’’. Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA. 1985-122.

Gown, 1740- 1760, remade ca. 1780, Asia, China; worn in America or England, Silk damask, plain-woven linen bodice lining; coarser linen sleeve linings. OL: 60’’; Waist: 33’’ if pinned over about ½’’, Silk width 28 ¾’’; Silk vert. repeat: 19’’. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA.

Stays, ca. 1775, England, silk (fabric, lining, thread), baleen (boning), linen (lining), Width: 23’’; Height: 10’’; Waist: 18 ½’’; Chest: 21 ½’’, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 1994-27.

Stays were a bodice, similar in function to a corset, that was worn over a shift dress and under the main dress. It shaped the torso into the conical shape that was fashionable at the time.

Stays were made of an interlining that was two to three layers of tightly woven linen canvas or buckram to provide stiffness and then covered with an outer fabric. They were designed to be a bust for women and support good posture in young children, especially girls. For wealthier women and girls, this outer layer might be made of silk brocade, silk damask, or satin. Most working-class women often wore simpler stays made of durable fabrics like wool and linen, which were more practical for daily labor.

Both male and female children from wealthy families began wearing stays around the age of two, with some starting even earlier. Most boys only wore stays in early childhood and then transitioned to wear breeches between the ages of four to seven, but girls typically wore stays for the rest of their lives. Stays for girls were less rigid than the boned garments worn by their mothers.

As seen in the stays shown here, most children’s stays laced in the back, whereas women’s stays are often laced in the front. Children’s stays also featured “leading strings” on the garment’s shoulders, allowing parents to help a child learn to walk and prevent them from straying too far away.

Stays, Ca. 1780, England, Cotton (fabric); linen (lining); silk (thread); baleen (boning), Waist 24’’; Chest 30’’; Overall length at center front: 9 3/3’’. Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg VA. 1986-45.

Complex rules governed the wearing of stays. Girls and young women could be ridiculed for being seen without their stays, yet they could also be criticized for wearing her stays too tightly, which was considered a sign of vanity. Over the course of the 18th century, stays became less popular due to criticisms from doctors like William Buchanan who believed stays were cruel torture bandages and urged mothers to dress their children in looser clothing.

Some early feminist thinkers argued that stays, especially the tight-laced styles popular among the elite, contributed to the subjugation of women. In her 1792 manifesto, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, British writer Mary Wollstonecraft argued, “Most men are sometimes obliged to bear with bodily inconveniences, and to endure, occasionally, the inclemency of the elements; but genteel women are, literally speaking, slaves to their bodies, and glory in their subjection.”

Shift, 1780-1810, America or England, linen (fabric, thread), Length: 48’’; Width: 44’’; Hem fullness: 80’’ approx. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, 1986-207.

Shift dresses were pieces of linen that acted like underwear to be worn under their stays and dress. They were worn by all girls and women throughout the 18th century. It was easier to wash more frequently than stays and outer dresses which weren’t washed a lot. Girls continued wearing this into adulthood, whereas boys began wearing linen shirts at around age eight. 

Petticoat, Textile: ca. 1750; Gown: ca. 1770, England; worn in America, Virginia. Silk brocade with silk; cotton twill band. L: 36’’ Waist: 26 ½’’; Will selvage width: 19 ¾’’. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA. 1989-330,2.

Petticoats were popular for both women and young girls to wear. Most girls wore just one petticoat under their clothing. The petticoat was an inner skirt that helped to provide the outer dress with more structure. They could be made from plain cloth, even upcycled sheets or tableclothes. As well, petticoats could be highly decorated with embroidery. They also helped keep them warm in the colder weather. Some were even quilted for this purpose.

Pocket, 1740-1760, with later repairs, America, Cotton and linen embroidered with wool crewels; front lined with checked linen; backed and bound with linen. W: 5 ⅝’’ top- 9 ¼’’ bottom; L: 16 ⅜’’, Gift of Mr. Ernest LoNano, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA. 1958-180.

People have always needed to carry things with them, but pockets only began to be sewn into pants in the late 1600s. Since girls and women were not permitted to wear pants, separate pockets could be sewn or just tie around their waists and hidden in their skirts. Slits would be cut out of the dress to make the pocket accessible. They offered a place to conceal all manner of objects, from letters, to money, to jewels, and even weapons. They could be very plain or heavily patterned with silk embroidery. 

Gown, ca. 1780, England, Cotton, block printed with pencil blue and overprinted green; white teddy linen sleeve and bodice lining. OL: 65’’ Waist: 29-30’’ Selvage width 43’’. Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA. 1991-450.

By the late 1770s, women adopted a simple type of outer dress consisting of a low bodice with a medium full-flowing skirt gathered around the waist, which fell naturally without being held in the back by a bustle. Around the waist, they would wear a wide scarf or sash tied in a bow on either the back or the side. The bodice might be attached with either short, full sleeves edged with frills or ruffles or alternatively extend into long, tight sleeves that reached the waist. These dresses were often made out of imported fabrics made out of silk and embroidered. 

Cap, 1750-1800. America, New York. Linen; linen bobbin lace trim. OW: 12’’; OD: 8’’. Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA. 1964-386.

Hats were an essential and dynamic part of fashion in the eighteenth century. Women wore an astonishing variety of hats of all sizes and materials, from small close-fitting hats and caps to large enveloping bonnets and great broad-brimmed hats became all the rage. Hats could often be made out of an array of materials—including straw, beaver, felt, silk, and gauze. The introduction of black lace called “grenadine” from Chantilly entered millinery around 1775 and remained popular through the end of the century. Whether worn for practicality or fashion, hats allowed women and girls to express their personal style.

Charles Wilson Peale, Mrs. Samuel Chase (Ann Baldwin) daughters – Matilda Chase and Ann Chase, 1772-5, oil on canvas, via WikiCommons.

Hair was an important marker of identity in Revolutionary America and reflected changing ideals of beauty. Girls wore their hair in a variety of ways depending on their age and social class. Some had long, loose locks, with ringlet curls and center parts.

Others, especially in working families, had shorter, cropped hair that easily fit beneath bonnets and caps. The hair of young women in America never reached the indulgence of the French in the 18th century, and after 1775, there was a shift away from towering, decorative coiffures toward styles that were wider and flatter on the top.

The front hair was arranged over a padded roll to form a soft, rounded curve at the forehead. Three curls–often on each side and one at the shoulder–framed the features and soften the overall look. The back hair would then be arranged in a loose loop curled on the top and set with a large bow at the back. The hair was then covered with a white powder. These styles faded from fashion by the mid-1780s as tastes shifted toward simpler, more natural looks.

​​Shoe, 1760-1775, Gresham, Madie in England, London; worn in America (probably), Silk (upper, binding), linen (vamp lining), leather (sole, quarter lining), wood (heel), l 9″ Heel height: 2 5/8″, Museum Purchase, 1957-148, 2.

Shoes in 1776 for girls mirrored those of adult women. They often featured flat heels, rounded toes, and wide latchets, which were flaps crossed over the instep and sometimes fastened with a buckle. Latchets remained common throughout the 1770s and early 1780s, but they gradually were replaced by ties and laces.

Shoes were primarily made of leather, but wealthier families might purchase shoes of silk with satin ribbons or metal buckles. As the century drew to a close, heels started to grow, reflecting the influence of European styles. Girls oftentimes only had one pair of shoes.

Girls of the American Revolution

Recovering the lives of girls during the American Revolution is both essential and challenging. Unlike adult women, whose letters, diaries, and legal records occasionally survive, girls left behind very few primary sources. Since girls were too young to write extensively and their writings were rarely preserved, much of our information about girls comes from oral histories and family stories passed down through generations.

Descendants have made it their mission to ensure that their ancestors and how they aided in the war is never forgotten. These accounts offer invaluable glimpses into girlhood, but they also remind us how much remains unknown—and how much research is still needed.

In part because of this limited documentation, girls are often left out of history books and not recognized for their contributions to the American Revolution. But these girls did exist, and their stories deserve to be told. For some of these stories, please check out our Heroines Quilt exhibition, Heroines of the American Revolution.

Phillis Wheatley, c 1773. Public Domain. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division.

Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley Peters is one of the best-known poets in America. She was born in West Africa in 1753 and kidnapped and sold into slavery at the age of seven. She was enslaved in the household of prominent Boston merchant John Wheatley. It became clear how intelligent she was, and she was given an unprecedented education for an enslaved person and an unusual one for a woman of any race at the time. She took up her pen to write poetry. Her volume, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in 1773.

She was lionized in New England and England. Abolitionists pointed to Wheatley as powerful evidence of Black intellectual and artistic achievements. She became a household name among literate colonists, and her achievements were a catalyst for the anti-slavery movement.

Despite her talent and fame, Wheatley’s life was marked by hardship. She died at the age of thirty-one in Boston, likely from complications of childbirth. She is one of the most well documented girls of eighteenth century America and is often highlighted in museums and classrooms when discussing the lives of enslaved people. Her life and writings continue to shape understandings of girlhood, and particularly Black girlhood, in the past and present.

Engraved portrait of Deborah Sampson, female American Revolutionary War soldier, Massachusetts Historical Society. Used as the frontispiece of The Female Review: Life of Deborah Sampson, the Female Soldier in the War of Revolution, by Herman Mann (1771-1833).

Deborah Sampson

At a time when army regulations banned women from enlisting in combat, twenty-one-year-old Deborah Sampson was determined to participate in the war effort and disguised herself as a man to fight in the Continental Army from May 1782 to October 1783. She enlisted with the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment under the name Robert Shurtleff. She served in the Light Infantry Troops, which took part in small, risky missions throughout the Hudson Valley. When she received a gunshot wound during a skirmish, she pulled the bullet out herself to avoid medical care that might have revealed her true gender.

Sampson served undetected as a woman until falling unconscious with a high fever while on a mission in the summer of 1783. The attending physician notified her general of her gender, and she received an honorable discharge in October. She died at 66 years old, and her headstone in Sharon, Massachusetts, refers to her as “Women Soldier in the War of the Revolution.”

Statue of Sybil Ludington on Gleneida Avenue in Carmel, New York by Anna Hyatt Huntington. Wikipedia, Public Domain.

Sybil Luddington

Sybil Ludington is often referred to as a female Paul Revere. The sixteen-year-old Ludington learned that the British were planning to attack nearby Danbury, Connecticut, the location of a stockpile of provisions for Continental Army. On April 26th,1777, she l rode her horse, Star, forty miles to raise the alarm about the approaching British troops around Putnam County, New York. Despite her efforts, the British were successful in their raid on Danbury.

However, due to Ludington’s actions, the Patriots encountered the British the next day in nearby Ridgefield and were successful in driving them back to Long Island Sound. Ludington remained an obscure historical figure in U.S. history until 1961, when the Daughters of the American Revolution commissioned noted sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington to create a bronze statue of Ludington, creating an enduring tribute to her courage.

Miss Langston shielding her father, Alfred Jones (engraver), TH Matteson (artist), 1840-1890. Engraving. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/94509800/

Dicey Langston

One of the most well documented girls involved in the American Revolution is Dicey Langston.

Laodicea “Dicey” Langston was born on May 14, 1766. As a teenager, she listened to conversations of neighbors and warned her brother and other local Patriots of planned attacks. When she learned that a group of Loyalists were planning an attack on the settlement where her brother and his friends were living, she traveled miles to warn them. For these actions, she is often hailed as a female Paul Revere, like Sybil Ludington and Susana Bolling.

She is also remembered for having saved her father from being shot by Loyalist neighbors by stepping in front of him and telling the Loyalists that they would have to shoot her first. Admiring her bravery, the neighbors ultimately spared both Langston and her father out of admiration for her bravery. Following the war, she married Thomas Springfield and is believed to have had 20 children. The preservation of her story is largely due to the efforts of her many descendants. She died May 23, 1837, in South Carolina. 

Susanna Bolling

Like Sybil Ludington and Dicey Langston, Susanna Bolling is often referred to as a female Paul Revere of the Revolutionary War for outwitting the British forces on horseback. In May 1781, British General Lord Cornwallis and his troops invaded her family’s Bolingbrook Plantation at City Point, Virginia. It is said that sixteen-year-old Bolling overheard Cornwallis devise a plan to capture American ally, General Lafayette, at his headquarters at the Half Way House in Chesterfield, Virginia.

Bolling knew capturing Lafayette would land a crushing blow to the American’s fight for Independence, so she snuck out of her house through an underground tunnel, rowed across Appomattox River, and raced ten miles on horseback to the Half Way House to warn Lafayette. Her actions allowed him to escape and carry on fighting against the British.

Five months later, General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown. Even though many people do not know Susanna Bolling’s story, some historians believe that Lafayette would have been captured without her warning, which could have led to a different outcome at the Battle at Yorktown.

Like with Sybil Ludington and Dicey Langston, there are some debates over whether Bolling was a real person. Her story is contested because of the limited written documentation confirming her life and daring ride and instead preserved through oral histories. Even so, her legend continues to hold a powerful place, particularly in Virginia’s Revolutionary memory, and the state of Virginia honors her with Susanna Bolling Day on December 5th every year.

Highlighting girls and young women of the American Revolution

Historians, researchers, teachers, museums, and community organizations are working to preserve and bring to light the stories of girls and women who shaped the American Revolution. These efforts have taken on a new urgency in 2026, as America marks its 250th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, museums, archives, and historical societies across the United States and the world have been created new exhibitions that explore the history of the American Revolution. This section features some exhibitions centered around girls and women in this period. Given the volume of exhibitions on this topic, it’s impossible to feature all the exhibitions, so please comment with links to other exhibition to help visitors find out about these new places and stories.

Descendants

Descendants play an essential role in preserving the stories of girls in the American Revolution. Many documents from the Revolutionary era have been lost over time. Family memories and oral histories often provide researchers with important information. Even when every detail cannot be verified through official documentation, stories by descendants often inspire researchers to pursue new leads. Some descendants have even created nonprofit organizations that also help support research. Without the persistence of descendants, figures like Dicey Langston might have never gained the recognition and respect they now hold in the story of the American Revolution.

Greenville Symphony Orchestra

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, artists are also doing their part to honor historical icons of the American Revolution. For instance, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra paid tribute to local hero, Dicey Langston, with original music inspired by her life. The Orchestra partnered with young female students at Greenville Middle Academy to sing the new music that highlights Dicey’s courageous actions. This news story from WHNS in Greenville South Carolina captures the power of Dicey Langston’s inspirational story and why she shouldn’t be forgotten.

Upstate woman brings Revolutionary War women’s stories to life through period clothing, Jan. 30th, 2026, 3:26, Fox Carolina News Staff, WHNS Fox Carolina, Abberville, South Carolina.

Abbeville Welcome Center

The Abbeville Welcome Center: The Voices of the Revolution exhibit includes replicas of clothing women wore throughout the 18th century and provides detailed information about particular fabrics and clothes and styles of the time. The items were made by Jean Hutchinson, a historian whose goal is to showcase more stories of girls and women that are often left out of the history books. This news story featured on WHNS explores the exhibition and Hutchinson’s replicas.

New York Historic Society

A new exhibition, The New York Historical Society: Revolutionary Women, will showcase significant women from New York who took part in the revolution and how the war impacted women of the area. The exhibition aims to include parts of the museum’s collection along with that of the Patricia D. Klingenstein library. The objects will include love letters, poems, petitions, military correspondence, archeological objects, paintings, household objects, and more to help break new narrative ground. It is open from May 29 to Oct 25, 2026.

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)

The DAR is a well-known organization dedicated to preserving the nation’s Revolutionary history. Composed of members who trace their lineage to the founders and members involved in the American Revolution, the DAR has chapters across the country and support research on the American Revolution. Through field trips, programs and exhibitions, they help preserve and educate the public on aspects of the war that are often left out of history books, including those of girls and women. Their resources and scholarship have been central to the development of this exhibition. To explore more of their work, visit the DAR’s Storyteller Virtual Exhibition.

Museum of the American Revolution

The Museum of the American Revolution has held programs that explore the stories and women’s roles in aiding the American revolution. These programs go beyond the women and girls featured in their exhibits on the Revolutionary War and highlight a need for more research to be done on women in American history. Some of the past programs explored the history of Phillis Wheatley, Elizabeth Freeman, Deborah Sampson, Abigail Adams, Martha Washington, Elizabeth Drinker, and many others.

Resources
Histories of the American Revolution

“American Revolution Facts: Battles, Casualties, and More.” The American Revolution. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-american-revolution/american-revolution-facts-battles-casualties-and-more.

HISTORY.com Editors. “Revolutionary War.” History. Updated June 17, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/american-revolution-history.

“The Second Continental Congress.” Coming of the American Revolution:1764 to 1776. Massachusetts Historical Society. https://www.masshist.org/revolution/congress2.php.

Wallace, Willard M. “American Revolution (United States History).” Britannica. July 17, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Revolution.

Wulf, Karin A. “Despite the Mean Distinctions (these) Times Have Made’: The Complexity of Patriotism and Quaker Loyalism in One Pennsylvania Family.” NEH/PBS. Fall 1997.

 

Women’s Lives in Early America

Owens, Tara. “18th Century Marriage.” Hammond Harwood House. August 24, 2012. https://hammondharwoodhouse.org/18th-century-marriage/.

Salmon, Marylynn.  “The Legal Status of Women, 1776-1830.” History Now, Issue 7 (Spring 2006). https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/legal-status-women-1776-1830.

“Women’s Rights in the Early Republic.” National Women’s History Museum. https://www.crusadeforthevote.org/early-republic.

 

Women in American Revolution

“Abigail Adams (1744-1818).” Adams National Historical Park. The National Park Service. Updated April 30, 2015. https://www.nps.gov/adam/learn/historyculture/abigail-adams-1744-1818.htm.

Duval, Lauren. “Women’s Everyday Experiences of War during the American Revolution.” The Panorama. January 28,2025. https://thepanorama.shear.org/2025/01/28/womens-everyday-experiences-of-war-during-the-american-revolution/.

“How Did Women Gain the Vote?: The Promise of 1776 for Women.” When Women Lost the Vote. Museum of the American Revolution. https://www.amrevmuseum.org/virtualexhibits/when-women-lost-the-vote-a-revolutionary-story/pages/how-did-women-gain-the-vote-the-promise-of-1776-for-women.

“Liberty Exhibit Big Idea 4: A Women’s War.” Museum of the American Revolution. https://www.amrevmuseum.org/liberty-exhibit-big-idea-4-a-women-s-war.

“Revolutionary Women.” Museum of the American Revolution. February 27, 2018. https://www.amrevmuseum.org/news/revolutionary-women.

“Women in the American Revolution: On the homefront and on the battlefield.” American Battlefield Trust. Updated August 30, 2023. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/women-american-revolution.

“Women of the Revolutionary War: Non-Consumption and Homespun Movements.” Fraunces Tavern Museum. https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/wrw-homespun.

 

Children’s Education and Culture in Early America

“American Samplers.” National Museum of American History. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/american-samplers.

Roos, Dave. “What School Was Like in the 13 Colonies.” History. Updated March 19, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/13-colonies-school.

Wilkins, Armonee. “The Role of Hornbooks in Early American Education.” Fraunces Tavern Museum. https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/the-role-of-hornbooks-in-early-american-education.

 

Girls’ and Women’s Fashion

“The American Revolution and Fashion.” Fashion Archives and Museum. https://fashionarchives.org/the-revolution-of-fashion/.

Brigade of the American Revolution. “Women’s Dress During the American Revolution: An Interpretive Guide.” Brigade of the American Revolution Press, 2004.

Bullat, Samantha. “Getting Dressed in 18th Century Working Class Women’s Clothing.” YouTube. February 28, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLoqx1WF9RU.

Dunnell, Tony. “How Americans Dressed in 1776.” History Facts. June 25, 2026. https://historyfacts.com/us-history/article/how-americans-dressed-in-1776/.

Kennedy, Lesley. “What Colonial Americans Wore in 1776.” History. Updated June 17, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/colonial-clothing-1776.

Locust Grove. “Children’s Clothing in the 18th Century with Rowenna Miller.” YouTube. October 24, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=249uttGjxxE.

 

Girls of the American Revolution

“Loadicea Dicey Langston Springfield.” DAR Pathway of the Patriots. https://honoringourpatriots.dar.org/patriots/laodicea-dicey-langston-springfield/.

McQuade, Greg. “How a 16-Year-Old Girl from Hopewell Helped Win the Revolutionary War.” Prince George County. https://www.princegeorgecountyva.gov/news_detail_T6_R2332.php.

Michals, Debra. “Deborah Sampson (1760-1827).” National Women’s History Museum. Updated January 2023. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/deborah-sampson.

Sheridan, Stephanie. “Phillis Wheatley: Her Life, Poetry, and Legacy.” Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. https://npg.si.edu/blog/phillis-wheatley-her-life-poetry-and-legacy.

“Sybil Ludington.” American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/sybil-ludington

Learning

You can use our exhibition to learn both at home and in the classroom.

Here is the Education Guide to both US and UK curriculum standards.

Check it out for discussion topics, activities, and conversation starters.

Credits

The exhibition was curated by Lindsay Guarnieri with assistance from Dr Ashley E Remer and Dr Elizabeth Dillenburg. Special thank you to Alexa Erbach for producing the two amazing stories featured in the exhibition and to Kyle Rogers and Matt Stanley for helping us get the two stories in the exhibition.

Most of the objects from the exhibition come from Colonial Williamsburg, a great place to visit to learn more about this period. We acknowledge the institutions were other objects were housed; The Library of Congress, National Museum of American History, and the Metropolitan Museum of History.

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