Reading for Questions 9-11 “[George] Washington’s gratitude…
Reading for Questions 9-11 “ Washington’s gratitude was genuine . . . but the fact remains that the members of the association, who had embarked on a very unfeminine enterprise, were ultimately deflected into a traditional domestic role…. Ironically and symbolically, the Philadelphia women of 1780, who had tried to establish an unprecedented nationwide female organization, ended up as what one amused historian has termed ‘General Washington’s Sewing Circle.’ “Male Revolutionary leaders too regarded women’s efforts with wry condescension. . . . The women, on the other hand,… could reflect proudly that ‘whilst our friends were exposed to the hardships and dangers of the fields of war for our protection, we were exerting at home our little labours to administer to their comfort and alleviate their toil.’” Mary Beth Norton, historian, “The Philadelphia Ladies Association,” American Heritage, 1980. Question: During and immediately after the Revolutionary era, which of the following resulted most directly from the efforts of women such as those described in the excerpt?