Laundresses: Warriors of the Washboard

In my last blog post, click [HERE], I talked about orderlies or servants, in which capacity some women served while disguised as men.  Others, however, provided support services while in their true feminine identities.  These women were employed by the military as nurses, cooks, and laundresses. This article will focus on laundresses, also called washerwomen.

Casting Their Lots

The women's suffrage movement began in 1848 when the initial women's rights convention was held at Seneca Falls, New York.  The right to vote was still a long time coming.  But that didn't deter some women.  In 1852, one appeared at the polls in New York disguised as a man.  However, her smooth face betrayed her and her ruse was discovered.

New Orleans Times Picayune, November 13th, 1852