Women's History Month at TSLA...

It's the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a perfect opportunity for commemorating all aspects of a period that is central to American history, and because March is Women's History Month, the Tennessee State Library and Archives will be highlighting the stories of women from our new collection Women in the Civil War.

Some have argued that women's experiences during this time are perhaps even more varied than those of the men who served on the front lines. Women of all classes experienced the war in some way, whether through deprivation, loss of loved ones, disintegration of social norms, or, in at least a few hundred documented cases, actual battlefield experience.

This is a carte de visite of Confederate spy Belle Boyd (1844-1900). She was a Confederate spy who operated from her father's hotel in Front Royal, Virginia. In one instance, she provided valuable information to General Stonewall Jackson during his attack on Union troops in Front Royal. She was arrested several times. She made her way to England in 1864 and returned to the U. S. in 1866. Women in the Civil War Collection. TSLA

The curiosity of women serving on Civil War battlefields has attracted some attention from historians, and the women featured in this collection each contributed to the Union or Confederacy in her own unique fashion. This war fought principally on Southern soil brought out the ingenuity and resourcefulness, as well as the observant eye, of the region’s female population. The “Women in the Civil War” digital collection showcases female participation in the war, revealing that women experienced the crisis just as actively as their sons, husbands, and fathers.

During Women's History Month, be sure to visit the Women in the Civil War online exhibit, and "like" our Facebook page for updates throughout the month featuring content from this fascinating collection.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.