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Women of the Revolution

by Bev York
February 9, 2027 | 6PM Reception, 6:30PM Performance

Description: Meet six heroines including a soldier, a spy and a seamstress. Though women’s stories and their documented contributions to the war for independence are few, they represent what thousands of women probably did do. Women ran the family farms and businesses while men were away. But they also were camp cooks, laundresses and nurses, participating in resistance efforts and, surprisingly, they were also spies and soldiers. To get a real sense of women’s lives and their war efforts, Bev will present these women by wearing different hats, accessories and she will use various vintage props. She will walk her audience through the empowering evolution of women during the Revolution. And what of the courageous women who raised a house frame in Hampton after the men left to join the ranks? Molly Pitcher, whose real name was Mary Hayes, who manned the artillery and Private Robert Shirtiff who was Deborah Sampson Garrett and who wore a military outfit although women were barred from joining up. And the stories keep coming.

Featured Performer:
Bev York is a historian and artist in the Windham area. She teaches and gives presentations on local and national history as well as early American crafts and tasks. Her programs are often interactive, illustrated, and utilize primary source materials. York has education degrees in History and Art. She has taught history and humanities at Quinebaug Valley Community College (CT State) for over twenty years. She has also taught in public schools and home school classes. York is a museum professional, having been the director at the Nathan Hale Homestead and the Mill Museum in Willimantic.

 

Where: Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, CT
Schedule: Reception at 6:00 pm in Hendel Library, performance at 6:30 in Lehman Auditorium

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