Women & Fundraising

In efforts to raise money and supplies for the Union, Northern women gathered together to organize festivals and meetings. This was a nice solution for women who were uncomfortable working outside the acceptable parameters of Victorian America, as they involved themselves in organizing sanitary fairs to raise money for the U.S. Sanitary Commission.[1] In addition, women immersed themselves in nursing the wounded and sick soldiers, both in the local hospitals and on the battlefield as well.”[2] Women such as Dorothea Dix and Clara Barton contributed significantly during the Civil War, as their efforts contributed to the creation of The Red Cross, medical research, and support. With the help of Northern women, the Union was better able to prepare for the stress to come.