The Women of the American Revolution

What it is

This book, written by Elizabeth Fries Ellet and published in 1848, is a collection of biographical accounts of women who lived through the American Revolution. It includes a chapter describing the Molly Pitcher legend.

Why it matters

Ellet's preface explains the difficulty of finding reliable sources for women's history, since much of it depended on fading memory and oral tradition rather than written records. This book was one of the earliest attempts to record women's contributions to the Revolution, including stories linked to figures like Mary Hays, and shows both the value and the limits of such early historical writing.

Look closer

• Why does Ellet warn readers about trusting traditional or oral accounts?
• What challenges did historians face when trying to document women's roles in the Revolution?
• How might Ellet's own cautious approach affect how we read her account of Molly Pitcher today?