The American Revolution encouraged women to express political opinions by involving themselves in the war effort through initiatives like boycotting British goods, managing farms and businesses, and raising funds for the Continental Army.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American Revolution encouraged women to express political opinions. During this period, women were generally considered second-class citizens with limited rights and access to education. Nevertheless, the necessity of the war effort brought out the political involvement of women. Women supported their husbands and the revolution by managing their family farms, homes, and businesses. They engaged in patriotic initiatives such as forming the Daughters of Liberty, who boycotted British goods, and creating spinning societies to make homespun cloth. Notably, Esther DeBerdt Reed led the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, raising significant funds for the Continental Army and urging other women to also support the cause. The rhetoric of the Declaration of Independence inspired women to seek greater political and economic rights, aspiring to maintain the economic freedom they had experienced during the war and hoping to expand on their political rights, though most men did not heed these calls.