Today, we live in a society that actively strives for equality. It is strange for me to think that mere decades ago, the situation was quite different, and men and women were not given the same opportunities in life. Although inequality still exists, if we compare it to the 19th century, we can realize how far we have gone as a society.
As the topic of gender inequality has always fascinated me, I have chosen a letter by William Henry Auston. In his letter, he discusses his encounter with Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, a woman who disguised herself as a man, “Lyons Wakeman,” in order to enlist in the army. The image above is a photo of Auston’s letter. I purposefully selected a letter written by a man to introduce students to a perspective of a man of the 19th century on a woman who broke the constraints put on her by the society of the time.
The letter under consideration can be utilized in different teaching contexts. Considering the subject matter of the letter, I would present it to older students who can grasp the concept of gender inequality that was dominant in the country during the Civil War. In my opinion, this primary document can be employed in both history and sociology classes to prompt a variety of discussions. For example, it can serve as a hook to start a conversation on the Civil War, the role of women in it, and whether it was morally right to impersonate men to join the army. Alternatively, the letter can spark a discussion on restrictions put on women by 19th-century society compared to contemporary society.
As a piece of correspondence penned by a man, we can also debate whether it was right of Auston to keep Wakeman’s identity a secret, as revealing her as a woman to her superiors would likely result in her surviving the war.