When Civil War veterans couldn't work, their wives did, then organized politically

After the US Civil War, women whose husbands were disabled veterans were much more likely to work outside the home. This economic shift then led to more political organizing, specifically the Temperance Crusade.

Women in the 19th century gained political power long before they could vote. This paper shows how economic necessity, like supporting a disabled veteran husband, pushed women into the workforce. That new economic role then became a platform for political action, like the Temperance movement.