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Revolutionary war women were able to play a significant role, specifically because men looked down upon them.

Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag
Because women were considered too simple to understand complex military strategy during the American Revolution, men spoke freely around them. Thus, they made great spies, providing food and peddling wares to enemy camps while listening for important information.

Ann Bates is one such person. A Philadelphia schoolteacher, loyal to the crown, she assumed a false name and pretended to peddle while counting Continental Army troops and supplies for the British.

Unfortunately, this means that the most significant women in the Revolutionary War may be completely unknown to us. Many were probably never caught spying, and their secret role may never have been documented.

" Miss Jenny," for example, is known only from a letter written from fooon Ottendorf to the British general, Sir Henry Clinton. We don't even know her real name!

How many others played similar roles in the American Revolution may never be known.

It was not only spies, however, that affected the Revolution. Some women, like Abigail Adams, wife of future president John Adams, supported the cause in other ways, nursing injured soldiers, providing supplies, and even creating much needed ammunition!

Hannah Blair was a Quaker who, although sworn against violence by her religion, wanted to support the Patriot cause. She protected soldiers passing through, gave medical help and food, carried secret messages, and mended uniforms. When the Loyalists found out, they burned her farm down. After the war, Congress granted her a small pension for her services. Very little else is known about Hannah Blair. Whether she was married, had children, had religious scruples in volunteering for a war-these are all mysteries that vanished with time.

Margaret Corbin was the first American woman to receive a pension as a soldier. Her story is told as part of the Molly Pitcher legend.

Lydia Darragh, a pacifist Quaker like Betsy Ross, made her mark in history by acting when opportunity arose.

Mary Draper, who provided food, clothing, hospitality, and ammunition to the Patriot troops.

Deborah Read Franklin was Benjamin Franklin's wife and companion for 44 years.

Dicey Langston's exploits earned her the nickname "Daring Dicey."

Sybil Ludington is known as the "female Paul Revere", for riding in the night to warn the Colonial troops of the approaching British.

Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley's story is told as part of the Molly Pitcher legend. She (wo)manned an artillery cannon in her husband's place when he was injured in battle.

Esther Reed was the wife of a Revolutionary War General, and a civic leader who formed the Ladies Philadelphia, provided relief for soldiers, and spoke politically to gain support for the war effort.

Deborah Samson actually fought for the colonial army.

Mercy Otis Warren advised presidents and generals while writing political plays, becoming perhaps the most influential woman in American history.

Martha Washington was the first first lady, and the support for commander-in-chief George Washington throughout the war.

And we must not forget to mention Betsy Ross, the most famous of Revolutionary War women, who inspired the cause by producing the first American flag in the summer of 1776. ( You might also want to read the story of the Star-Spangled Banner, though that famous flag was not sewn by Betsy Ross.)

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Revolutionary War Women | Facts, Information & History

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Revolutionary war women were able to play a significant role, specifically because men looked down upon them. Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag Because women were considered too simple to understand complex military strategy during the American Revolution, men spoke freely around them.

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https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrqtq7F0RmkGw-QnYZt1FpI13N9mc_Sh0

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What is conflict? How can conflict be resolved? 

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What is conflict? How can conflict be resolved? 

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In sensitive situations do you sometimes find yourself either arguing or going silent about what you want? Do you hold back from expressing your concerns out of fear of conflict?

This article offers alternatives to fighting when differences and disagreements emerge between people in any venue--work, friendship, home or whereever.

What is conflict? Conflict is disagreement, but contrary to popular belief conflict does not necessarily involve fighting. As I explain in my book From Conflict to Resolution, conflict exists in any situation where facts, desires or fears pull or push participants against each other or in divergent directions.

Bickering, arguing or getting insistent about your point of view indicate someone who is unskilled at handling conflicts in a collaborative way. So does going silent about your perspective. Like dropping a ball indicates someone who lacks catching skills or falling on ice skates indicates someone who needs more practice at staying on his feet, talking in an irritated tone of voice, becoming insistent on your way or going silent all indicate skill deficits.
What is conflict resolution?
Conflict resolution is the process of trying to find a solution to a conflict. Ideally conflict resolution is collaborative problem-solving, a cooperative talking-together process that leads to choosing a plan of action that both of you can feel good about.
How can you tell when there is a conflict afoot?
When people sense disagreement they tend to feel uncomfortable. Discomfort, that is, slightly negative emotions, alert you to the reality that a situation of conflict is occurring. That is, one person wants, thinks or does one thing, and another has a different perspective or prefers a different course of action.

Decisions therefore are one danger point. Any time two people need to pick a shared course of action they are at risk for experiencing conflict.

Seeing things differently can also provoke conflict. Fortunately, there are ways to disagree that prevent conflicts from emerging in these situations. I write about these in my posting on How To Disagree Agreeably.

My post on how to say what's on your mind without coming across as critical expands further on how to prevent conflicts engendered by hurt feelings.
The three steps of collaborative conflict resolution.
Here goes: a quick course in collaborative conflict resolution.

First and foremost, watch your emotional tone. A synonym for conflict resolution is shared problem-solving. The word "shared" implies cooperation. For the following 3-step process to work, participants need to stay friendly, like they are sitting on the same side of the table facing the problem, never flipping into oppositional or hostile stances toward each other. That's key to sustaining the process.

So now, to settle a disagreement without getting mad, sad or anxious, take the following three steps:

Step 1. Recognition that there is a problem that needs to be solved.
Step 2. Exploration of the underlying concerns Step 3. Creation of a mutually agreeable solution
To illustrate each step let us take an example of a couple, Jim and Barbara, trying to decide on a summer vacation.
Step 1. Recognition of a problem that needs to be solved
To begin a process of conflict resolution you need to recognize that a conflict exists. Sometimes that's the hardest time to stay in a positive tone of voice. So if you feel yourself becoming tense or irritated, instead of continuing in a bickering mode, pause and say to yourself, "Here's an opportunity to use my new skills. My irritation indicates that there's a conflict here!"

Jim: Let's take a trip to Peking. I want to travel and explore.

Barbara: (Sounded alarmed and even irritated) Not me. That sounds awful. I love to stay at home. For summer vacation the last thing I would want to do is travel.

Note that the first step in moving forward toward resolving a conflict consists of both sides saying what is initially on their minds. Both sides speak; both sides listen to the other, even though what they want seems to be in conflict.

Danger: Participants who at this point head straight for the third step, finding solutions, will find themselves locked in a tug-of-war, a power struggle over whose way will prevail.

Far better: proceed immediately to step two.
Step 2. Explore Underlying Concerns
This step requires a change from looking at possible solutions to exploring the underlying concerns that your initial suggestions had been meant to accomplish. Solutions are plans of action. Concerns are underlying desires, fears, and other factors that matter to you in a given situation.

Jim: I was thinking of an exploring vacation because I want to be physically active during our vacation. At my job I sit at my desk all day. On my vacation I would like to move around, to walk long distances, and to meet new people. Besides, new sights feel invigorating, fun.

Barbara: That makes sense. As for me, I want to stay in one place because I have been working such long hours. I just would like to rest. I want to relax, to slow down, to recuperate. I also would love time to read, since I have so little time to read most of the year.
Step 3. Find a Mutually Agreeable Solution
Agreement and resolution come when the two people involved in a conflict create a plan of action that includes ways to meet the underlying concerns of both parties.

Jim: So I want to be able to move around a lot, to walk, and to see new sights and meet new people. You want to be able to sit still, to read and relax. How about if we go to the seacoast, to a beach resort? You can sit and relax on the beach; I can do beach sports like surfing and volleyball and also take long walks along the shoreline. You can relax alone in the sun. I can meet the people sitting near us on the beach, or participating in water sports with me. We can go to a place that is new for us, which I would like; at the same time we can stay in that one place rather than travel, which you would prefer.

Barbara: Sounds perfect! It's a deal!

Note that even though this couple's eventual solution was different from the initial suggestions of both parties, because the plan of action was responsive the concerns of both people it felt better to both of them than either of their first ideas. That is, the solution was "win-win" not because one or both of them "got their way" but rather because the solution was responsive to the underlying concerns of both of them.
DISRUPTIONS TO THE 3-STEP PROCESS.
In fact, the three steps above have potential pitfalls that are important to avoid.
Pitfalls to avoid in the first step, Expressing Initial Suggestions
several disruptive problems may occur. One person may never say what they want. One may present their suggestion as a criticism instead of a request. And one side (or both) may not listen to the other.

Not saying, not speaking up about what you want, will block launching a satisfactory process. If no one, or only one and not the other, says what they want, a collaborative conflict resolution process gets aborted.

At the same time, saying what you don't want or launching the discussion in a critical way also risks veering the conversation off the cooperative pathways. My posting on Getting Off On the Right Foot so Your Viewpoints Won't Get Left Out offers sentence starters that have highest odds of leading to a productive conflict resolution sequence.

Listening also is essential for the process to move forward. Listening effectively requires an attitude of taking the other person's perspective and concerns seriously. Dismissive listening that brushes away, minimizes or criticizes what the first person has said brings the progress to an immediate halt. My post on listening skills details how to be sure that you are receiving data from others in a way that keeps dialogue moving forward collaboratively.

Tone is also vitally important. A relaxed friendly tone enables people to think most creatively. It also encourages generosity. By contrast, irritation or anger can immediately flip collaborative conflict resolution into oppositional fighting. In these cases, taking a break is vital so you can both get back to calmly cooperative mode before you continue talking. I talk about how to keep your emotions in the calm zone in another post.

In sum, for an effective launch to cooperative conflict resolution, both sides must express their initial desire or thought, laying out the wishes in a positive ("I would like to ..."_), not negative ("You never...") manner. Both sides must listen like a sponge, listening to absorb and understand rather than to criticize and brush aside the other's point of view. Add symmetry of air time plus a cooperative, friendly emotional tone and it's likely that Step One will go well.

​Remember, what causes conflicts to create bickering and fighting is typicallly not how challenging the issues are but which route of conflict resolution two people choose to take.

The second step, exploration of Underlying Concerns, requires commitment to a process of discovery. The goal is to find out what factors are necessary in order to find a solution that pleases both sides.

If either person is interested in WINNING instead of in learning each other's concerns for the benefit of both of you, the process will abort.

Similarly, if either party listens to the other with a goal of proving "I am right and you are wrong," the discussion will turn turbulent and end prematurely. The impulse to win by causing the other to lose is like boulders in a stream of water; it blocks the flow and causes turbulence.

Step Two also requires the ability to explore a problem in depth instead of leaping to an immediate solution. Exploration is difficult because it requires people to look below the surface, to ask themselves "Why do I want this?" Much of a therapist's work consists of skillfully helping people to explore their underlying concerns, much as a midwife skillfully assists a baby's emergence from the womb.

As in the first step, symmetry is vital to successful second-step dialogue. Both sides must express their underlying concerns; and both sides must listen thoughtfully to the other's concerns.

The third step, Finding A Solution that works for both parties, tends to flow with relative ease if the first two steps have been successful.

Still, one requirement is that thinking be open, so that new solutions, solutions that meet both people's primary concerns, can be discovered. Sometimes also modifications to one of the earlier suggestions will make that one workable. Still, both people have to remain open to a new plan rather than attached to their first idea.

Another requirement is a belief that mutually gratifying solutions can be found; without this belief the attempt to create solutions never gets launched.

Lastly, no one gets to suggest what the other person should do. Doing the thinking for the other person is generally unhelpful. Instead, participants each need to focus on what they themselves might be willing to offer toward a total plan of action.

Once mutually agreeable solutions have been agreed upon, it's helpful for both sides to check that they are thoroughly satisfied. This checking can be accomplished by each participant asking "Is there any piece of this problem that still feels unfinished or uncomfortable?" A small adjustment to the solution at that point can prevent later dissatisfactions with the agreement.
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT CONFLICT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
The three steps described above apply to solving conflicts that have occurred within any realm: within one person's wishes, fears and/or values, between people, between groups, or even between nations.

Staying on pathways of collaborative communication is vital to successful conflict resolution. Any slippage will inadvertently risk triggering process-induced conflict. Learning these skills can give you guardrails that keep you safe.

What's vital on the listening end is that we learn to listen seriously to our own wishes and concerns, and also to hear the wishes and underlying concerns of others. I call that dual ability bilateral listening, that is, two-sided listening. Bilateral listening is a hallmark of personal maturity because it enables people to create solutions that encompass the concerns of both participants.

To the extent that we succeed in learning to do collaborative conflict resolution, we will become more effective and productive at work, live more harmoniously as families, and be able to hope for a more peaceful and harmonious world.

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Also by Dr. Heitler How To Save a Marriage Marriage Counseling
------------------------------------

Denver clinical psychologist Susan Heitler, Ph.D, a graduate of Harvard and NYU, is author of Power of Two, a book, a workbook, and a website that teach the communication skills that sustain positive relationships.

Click here for a free Power of Two relationship test. To learn more about how to handle conflict in ways that enhance your relationships, check out Dr. Heitler's books and website.

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What Makes Conflict? How Are Conflicts Resolved?

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In sensitive situations do you sometimes find yourself either arguing or going silent about what you want? Do you hold back from expressing your concerns out of fear of conflict? This article offers alternatives to fighting when differences and disagreements emerge between people in any venue--work, friendship, home or whereever.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CVcYQdua0cCLKuSdekgZR4A79eGLRaVgNkgTnnIjVeU/edit

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http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives_military.html?scrlybrkr=115634bc

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Interactive Map: Revolutionary War Battles, 1775 - 1778

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Due to variances in browsers and operating systems, the selected map may not print on this page.

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http://mrnussbaum.com/revolutionary_war_battles/

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Battles Of The American Revolution - Lessons - Tes Teach

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Battles of Lexington and Concord - American ... - History Channel.Battle of Bunker Hill - American Revolution ... - History Channel.Battles of Trenton and Princeton Exclusive Videos ...

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Causes and Effects of the American Revolution 

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Causes and Effects of the American Revolution 

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Welcome to the MrNussbaum.com Causes and Effects of the American Revolution page. Click on any of the causes or effects below to learn more.

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

With war looming, the Continental Congress was formed for the purposes of drawing consensus within the colonies for action against the growing threat of British occupation.

Common Sense, one of the most influential pamphlets in American history galvanized the American public to support the Revolution and condemn the monarchy in England.

EFFECTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Trials and Tribulations of a New Nation
Foreign policy issues, newspaper wars, and partisan politics threatened to destroy the new nation in its infancy.

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Causes and Effects of the American Revolution

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Welcome to the MrNussbaum.com Causes and Effects of the American Revolution page. Click on any of the causes or effects below to learn more. CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION With war looming, the Continental Congress was formed for the purposes of drawing consensus within the colonies for action against the growing threat of British occupation.

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The Boston Tea Party, as it came to be known, was a defining moment in the lead up to the American Revolutionary War. As Massachusettes continued to defy British rule, other colonies began to follow suit.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4PEfFZOhNLzeG1VUnRtalQ2Qm8/view

Article and Questions:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4PEfFZOhNLzZVpZNFRFTEZQOTg/view

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We'll never be Royals - A song about the American Revolution via Lorde

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Rap 2 Learn: US History: Causes of the American Revolution

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http://www.leventhalmap.org/id/m8634

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Jefferson’s notes on a draft of the Declaration of Independence 

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Jefferson’s notes on a draft of the Declaration of Independence 

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Continental Congress, June 7, 1776, Notes on Debates and Proceedings on Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation

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The Library of Congress is providing access to The Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress for noncommercial, educational and research purposes.

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Original Draft of The American Revolution 

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Original Draft of The American Revolution 

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American Revolution Timeline - GameUp - BrainPOP.

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In this free social studies interactive, students look through artifacts to learn about events of the American Revolution.