Daughters of Liberty facts for kids
The Daughters of Liberty was a group of brave American women who formed in 1765. They protested against unfair British laws like the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts. This name also described many women who fought for freedom during the American Revolution.
Contents
What They Did
The Daughters of Liberty worked hard to protest the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts. They helped the Sons of Liberty by organizing boycotts. A boycott means refusing to buy certain goods. This was done to show Britain that colonists were unhappy.
Making Their Own Goods
One important activity was holding "spinning bees." Women would gather to spin yarn and weave cloth at home. This homemade cloth was called "homespun." By wearing homespun, colonists avoided buying British textiles. This hurt British businesses.
Women were also key in making sure boycotts worked. They were usually the ones who bought things for their families. So, they made sure their households and neighbors did not buy British goods. They felt it was their duty to support the fight for freedom.
Boycotting Tea
The Daughters of Liberty also famously boycotted British tea. This happened after the Tea Act was passed. This law gave the British East India Company a special advantage. Instead of British tea, they started drinking "liberty tea."
This "liberty tea" was often made from leaves of raspberries or a plant called New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus). This way, people could still enjoy tea without buying goods imported from Britain.
Helping the War Effort
As the Revolutionary War began, Daughters of Liberty groups across the colonies helped the soldiers. They melted down metal to make bullets. They also helped sew uniforms for the soldiers.
Samuel Adams, a famous leader of the Sons of Liberty, once said, "With ladies on our side, we can make every Tory tremble." This shows how important the Daughters of Liberty were to the cause of freedom.
Important Women of the Daughters of Liberty
Many women played key roles in the Daughters of Liberty and the fight for independence. Here are a few of them:
- Sarah Bradlee Fulton is known for her part in the 1773 Boston Tea Party. She suggested that the men involved wear Mohawk disguises. This helped them avoid being caught by British officials. She was called "Mother of the Tea Party." She also helped organize nurses for the Battle of Bunker Hill.
- Sarah Franklin Bache was a Daughter of Liberty and the daughter of Benjamin Franklin. She is known for helping to provide supplies and clothing for American soldiers in 1780.
- Martha Washington, who was the wife of George Washington, joined her husband during long winter camps. She worked hard to provide as much as she could for the soldiers.
- Esther de Berdt Reed created an organization called The Ladies of Philadelphia in 1778. This group raised money for food and clothing for the Continental Army. Even though she was born in London, she strongly supported the American cause. She also wrote an essay called "Sentiments of an American Woman." This essay encouraged colonial women to join the fight against the British.
- Deborah Sampson became a symbol of women's involvement in the war. Instead of supporting from the sidelines, she dressed as a man. She fought in the war in 1781 under the name Robert Shurtlieff.
- Elizabeth Nichols Dyar helped the men of the Boston Tea Party by mixing and applying paint to their faces. She is buried at a memorial in Phillips, Maine.
